Chromesthesia

Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which someone's senses are stimulated by another sense. Someone with synesthesia may taste shapes, hear colors, or smell words. A more specific time of synesthesia that is related to music is called "Chromesthesia," and it's a very interesting phenomenon. What is even more interesting and shocking is that one in twenty people have some form of Synesthesia.

Chromesthesia is a type of synesthesia in which sounds are translated into different colors. This affects different people with this condition in different ways, but one example of a person with Chromesthesia on which a study was done is an art teacher who described her experience. Whenever she would hear high notes, she would see pale colors. lower notes would evoke images of darker colors, and when she heard chords, she would see explosions of colors, almost like fireworks. Imagine that!

People that experience Chromesthesia often do not even realize that they have it, because it is common to them to have their senses crossed. Although one does not have to be a musician to experience Chromesthesia, it would help an aspiring musician to learn an instrument. For example, many people see specific colors for specific pitches. This could relate very closely with someone who has perfect pitch, which is someone who can identify a pitch just by hearing it. This person might see the color purple when they hear a C, so learning would be easier, as they could associate the pitch with a color.

The way each person perceives the world is different, but that makes us all unique! If you think you may have Synesthesia or Chromesthesia, a music career might be the right path for you. Or you can just be someone who experiences and enjoys music in a whole different way.