My Aunt K once took a psychology class at Penn State - the class was studying how people process information differently or something like that. She said that one day the professor played music for the class and asked them each to write or put something on paper describing the music or what they felt, saw or thought of - the first thing that came to mind while listening to it.
At the end of the song, and when all the students finished putting down their thoughts. The teacher went around the room, which had approximately thirty students, maybe less. Approximately half had either put down colors, notes or chords, numerical values depicting sound vibrations, or even an emotion. My Aunt was the only one in the class who had written a story, it was about two pages in length.
The teacher informed her that how she processed it was rare. My Aunt isn't a singer or a musician.
I remember seeing a documentary on the Beatles a while back and during it - they explained that none of the Beatles could read music. They were note blind. In fact McCartney in a recent interview explained that neither he nor John could. A lot of musicians don't. I don't think my friend, Lando, reads music well. They do it all by ear.
Another interesting thing about musicians? They think mathematically. In numbers. Not in pictures. My friend Lando, thinks mathematically - he can do equations in his head. I think in words - I see words in my head. And I see pictures. I can see an entire movie in my head, complete with audio and sound, and in color. I think like my Aunt K in that way. But her son sees numbers, scales, equations, colors...
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branchandroot
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Date: 2020-08-16 01:41 pm (UTC)At the end of the song, and when all the students finished putting down their thoughts. The teacher went around the room, which had approximately thirty students, maybe less.
Approximately half had either put down colors, notes or chords, numerical values depicting sound vibrations, or even an emotion. My Aunt was the only one in the class who had written a story, it was about two pages in length.
The teacher informed her that how she processed it was rare. My Aunt isn't a singer or a musician.
I remember seeing a documentary on the Beatles a while back and during it - they explained that none of the Beatles could read music. They were note blind. In fact McCartney in a recent interview explained that neither he nor John could. A lot of musicians don't. I don't think my friend, Lando, reads music well. They do it all by ear.
Another interesting thing about musicians? They think mathematically. In numbers. Not in pictures. My friend Lando, thinks mathematically - he can do equations in his head.
I think in words - I see words in my head. And I see pictures. I can see an entire movie in my head, complete with audio and sound, and in color. I think like my Aunt K in that way. But her son sees numbers, scales, equations, colors...
And that's an oversimplification.