It's great that there is more awareness of it today because whether an experience is positive or negative, it's always nice to know that someone can relate to you and that you're not alone.Īll art by Melissa McCracken, courtesy of the artist. I've received many lovely emails from synesthetes who struggled with the sense that something wrong was with them just because they saw colors when listening to music. Everyone who has experienced synesthesia is going to process it differently. Is this rise in awareness a positive thing?ĭefinitely. Pharrell, Kanye West, and Lady Gaga have all spoken about their synesthesia recently. Talking to her is so strange because, even though I can totally relate to the concept, her synesthesia still makes no sense to me.įor More Stories Like This, Sign Up for Our Newsletter A banana would be a high C, or something. I met a girl at college who saw shapes when she heard voices-I remember her dad's was triangular-and she also tasted pitch. Have you met anyone else with synesthesia? I remember hearing her clicking heels when she came home and it was such a comforting (purple!) sound to me as a child. But for my mom's birthday I painted the sound of her footsteps. There's usually one quick burst of color and then it disappears. I don't need to close my eyes but it helps me visualize it better if I do.ĭo you only paint songs or do you paint other sounds too? It just floats there in a similar way to how you would imagine something or visualize a memory. Synesthesia doesn't interfere with my sight in any way and it's not hallucinogenic. Learn the correct fingers to use from the hints included with every song. Choose between traditional sheet music, falling note blocks, or both. Synthesia is compatible with the lights in most lighted keyboards. Connect your own digital piano and play along. **Read more: The Human * Painter* Making Art Worthy of Aliens**ĭo you have to close your eyes to see the colors or do they cloud your sight? Synthesia waits until you hit the correct note in Melody Practice mode. It was shocking because I'd never thought it was unusual. It finally clicked in a high school psychology class. He seemed really confused and I thought there was something wrong with him. My phone was blue and I told my friend I was going to pick an "orange" song to match it because they're complementary colors.
At 16, I found out that it wasn't when I was trying to choose a ringtone. Melissa McCracken: I used to think my synesthesia was normal and that asking anyone about it would be like asking them if they could smell the coffee in a coffee shop. She spoke candidly to Broadly about her lifelong relationship with the condition, how she harnesses it to create her brilliantly colorful paintings, and the inspirational power of music and memory.īROADLY: How did you realize that most people don't hear in color?