Wassily Kandinsky

Colored Hearing(A Kind of synesthesia)

 

 

 

 

Research studies about colored hearing

011515 MBC radio Blue Night: A phone call with the listener with colored hearing

*I translated the dialogues into English since it is a Korean radio program. There could be some mistranslation.

<A letter from the listener of the radio>

(…) Hi, this is J. I have a phenomenon called ‘colored hearing’. It is a symptom that the eye perceives color when I hear something. I cannot go to the places where a lot of people speak or many sounds coming out because of this symptom. I listen to the music I used to when I walk. Although I do that, I fell quite a lot. My old habit is closing my eyes when I listen to music. I listened to your song when I was a middle school student, because of my sister’s recommendation. At that time, I just thought ‘Wow. There’s somebody who has a golden voice such as autumn sunshine.’. Now, I am a senior student in university, moved to a calm place, listening to this radio every day. Watching gold voices rise from the radio, I fell asleep. Therefore, I want to say thank you to you (…)

 

(Phone call with J and the DJ)

J: Hi, this is J. I’m 24 years old.

DJ: What can I say…. You are suffering from colored hearing or just say you are experiencing a colored hearing phenomenon?

J: I just say I am a person with colored hearing, and I was diagnosed with colored hearing in the hospital.

D: Oh, you call yourself that. Is that an innate thing?

J: I heard that some people acquire, but I am naturally like that.

D: So, you’ve seen colors since you were little.

J: Yes, there was an episode when I was little, and my parents brought me to the hospital that time. The doctor said I am a person with colored hearing….

D: What was that episode?

J: I watched an orchestra performance, and it was the first time that I saw so many instruments playing.

D: True. So many instruments, so many sounds….

J: Yeah… and I vomited because I could not bear so many colors appearing at once.

D: I see. You were little, I don’t blame you. Does each instrument have a different color?

J: Yes.

DJ: Oh, it does. How about the piano? I’m curious.

J: Piano has achromatic color between black and white, and there’s some difference according to the performer.

DJ: What do you think about colored hearing? Some people think colored hearing is quite romantic. Is that uncomfortable…?

J: I’ve never experienced circumstances without colored hearing, so it’s not that uncomfortable. Though… Well… It is hard to go to places with lots of people.

DJ: You are watching so many colors at once.

J: Yeah, so I can’t walk well when there’s many people.

DJ: So, what does it look like? You said you can see the color when hearing, does it look like fog? Or you see the line? Or…

J: There are some sounds that look like fog, there’s some sounds that look like drops.

DJ: I see…

J: There was a professor who was a famous violinist in my university. When I listen to a well-played violin, I usually see colors similar to red. When I heard him play, I could see red silk coming from his violin.

DJ: What’s the musical instrument that you think has the most beautiful color?

J: When my university friend plays the piano, it seems like snowing…. Even though the sound of the piano usually seems black. That’s the most beautiful view for me.

DJ: So, there’s a difference in the way people play, right? Depending on the person…

J: Yes.

DJ: Interesting. Oh, the listener sent a message. “It sounds like you are an imaginative person. I’m sorry to say it so easily because it’s my situation, but you seem to live colorful days.” You said you’ve never experienced life without colored hearing, so you do not know the difference, but it is hard to go to places with a lot of people. Do you have difficulty meeting people?

J: It is still hard for me to meet a lot of people. I rarely went to see orchestras and concerts when I was a student, but I went back to see them for the first time last year. I really enjoyed watching it then.

DJ: Oh, you adjusted.

J: Yes, so it is not as uncomfortable as when I was little. I fell down a lot when I was little…

DJ: There’s visual discomfort, so you tripped over a stone, because you were watching colors.

J: Also, if somebody plays music on the road suddenly, it blurs my sight…

DJ: Oh, I see. There must be some discomfort in those kinds of situations. How about watching movies? When you watch movies, people keep talking and OST is inserted into the scene. Isn’t it uncomfortable?

J: Oh, the recorded sounds are different from the direct sounds from people or the musical instruments.

DJ: Oh, are they?

J: Yes, so I like watching movies.

(…)

DJ: Thank you for telling me I have a golden voice.

J: Your voice seems like the color when the sky is very clear in the fall, the sun shines on the ground, that yellow color.

DJ: Oh, really?

J: Yes, so it is good when I hear your voice in winter. I hope you sing a lot.

DJ: Thank you, I’ll sing steadily. Bye~

J: Thank you, bye~