See Music Through Rose-Tinted Glasses – With New York City Music Lessons

New York City Music Lessons Won’t Give You the Blues!

What color is your favorite piece of music? We are serious – different types of music evoke different hues, and many of us make emotional music-color connections based on how the various melodies make us feel.

There is actually a body of research from the University of California, Berkeley, proving this phenomenon. We find it fascinating because this means that music involves not just our sense of hearing, but also fires up our feelings and imagination.

So what colors do various melodies convey? The above-mentioned study suggests, for instance, that Mozart’s energetic Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major is most often associated with bright yellow and orange, while his heavier Requiem in D minor is seen as grey.

A burst of color

Of course, the way we respond to music – and art in general – is a matter of individual preferences and interpretation, so while someone else may see a certain piece of music as red, you might perceive it as blue or purple.

The researchers say that, generally speaking, we tend to associate faster-paced music in a major key with lighter, more vivid colors, while slower-paced music in a minor key is more likely to be paired up with darker and grayer hues.

And what about pieces that comprise different tempos, going from light and jaunty to heavy and solemn? We can only guess that they will evoke a burst of psychedelic colors.

Beyond black and white

We thought it would be fun to listen to different genres of music and pair them with matching colors. We hasten to add that this is a totally unscientific experiment and its findings are highly subjective (which is why we said before that interpretation of music is an individual matter):

• The mellow and soothing sounds of Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 make us think of pale hues like cream, light blue or yellow.
• The rousing tunes of Ravel’s Bolero conjure images of an earthy color like moss green with shades of mauve.
• The fast-paced, rhythmic sounds of Dave Brubeck’s Take Five bring to mind vibrant colors like red and dark blue – with little specks of glitter thrown in.
• Last but certainly not least, Led Zeppelin’s high-vibe Whole Lotta Love evokes “metallic” shades of steel gray.

What do you think of this decidedly personal interpretation?

Color your world with music

We are not going to claim that our teachers are experts in color – or, for that matter, that they will always show up at your doorstep in a color-coordinated outfit.

But we can promise you that our in-home Manhattan music lessons (as well as those we offer in parts of Brooklyn and Riverdale in the Bronx) will provide you with excellent instruction that will leave you…in the pink!

Photo Credit: the sky is kelsey’s