Hat Frenzy

So recently, I've developed a new addiction, and it's taking over my life! Can't...stop...buying...hats!!! I never thought I was a 'hat' person. I usually would put one on in a store, look in the mirror, and go "Ick!!" But for some reason, this new addiction has recently begun. Maybe it's been engrained in me since childhood, and is just now surfacing?  After all, Grandma always wanted me dressed up really nicely...and would constantly say, even while I was in college, "Wear your hat!!" In the picture below, here I am in front of the fire place, dressed very warmly, (Grandma always wanted me to be warm, even if it wasn't cold outside!) So besides the coats, this was mainly through the use of...you got it...hats! 

Ok, so perhaps that's the best explanation for this recent hat explosion that has taken over my life. It recently began when I was in Queens this past fall. After giving lots of clothes away, I needed a new, warm hat. This one I found for seven dollars at a stand outside, only a couple blocks away from my apartment. It definitely kept me very warm (just as Grandma would have wanted), and as an added benefit, it was great for the windy weather at the top of the Empire State Building!

                               So once I got to Seattle, it started raining a lot. Yes, umbrellas are the best. But sometimes I forget to bring one with me. And what better way to avoid the outside mist, (when it's not really raining per se), then  to wear, A HAT?!

After this, I just started buying them for fun.  I found this at a gift expo for really cheap. Turns out, Grandma used to wear almost the exact same hat, and after she passed away, my mom had given it to one of her best friends. I happened to see this hat, in a sea of many others with different styles, shapes, and colors, not even knowing about this hat that Grandma had previously owned. Coincidental? She probably is still telling me to wear my hats, both for warmth and for style!!

Sometimes I didn't always get to choose my hats...like on the Yale ISM tour in Bosnia, when we had to wear these while going into the Mosque...

And there's always time to be festive. I mean, why not?!  Plus, this hat had flashing lights, Tacky and awesome. Dollar stores are the best! 

Ok I've run out of excuses. I just plain like hats, especially this one above. I think my collection will just keep on growing! Lord only knows how they will all fit in my room. I'll have to buy a hat rack next.

Here is my latest hat. I haven't worn it yet...but I'm possibly thinking...summer hat?!

And finally, I must end with Royce's interpretation of American women and their hat-wearing (or I should say non-hat-wearing habits) in society. A lot of people won't get this, but a few of my friends who have watched her videos with me will hopefully laugh and know the inside jokes of her crazy rantings...

A Synesthete's Synopsis

"Let us allow a priori that we are all capable of being amazed, of being dazzeled by these sounds, and these colors, and of touching, through them, something of the beyond, and this means that all sacred art--be it musical painting or colored music--ought to be from the start a sort of rainbow of sounds and colors. " -Olivier Messiaen

So, seeing as I've titled my blog 'Musings of a Synesthete,' I thought I would finally shed some light into my synesthetic world, in hopes of also learning about other's experiences as synesthetets (and non-synesthetes!) It's something that's always interested me in many ways, and I feel I still have more to learn and explore on the subject.

So, I'll begin by a brief description of Synesthesia itself. The word 'Synesthesia' comes from the fusion of the Greek syn or 'together' and 'aesthesia,' or sensing...therefore it is the linking of senses. Most commonly, people with synesthesia have the ability to see colors while hearing music, vowels or sounds. Some people with synesthesia, or 'synesthetes' have it more strongly, such as seeing light spots in front of their eyes, or even tasting shapes!


According to neurologists, people with color-sound synesthesia involuntarily see colors in association with words, letters and numbers, as well as sounds. Synesthesia is also usually genetic to some degree.

First, I thought as an introduction, I would show a short video of me back in the spring of 2008, as a Yale student. Here I was interviewed about my synesthetic experiences and how they are incorporated in my organ playing. Disclaimer: I HATE the way I look in videos, so please try to disregard that part! However, I thought it might hopefully be a decent summary into how my 'colored world' works in my head when I am performing or hearing music. So *gasp* here it is:

Also, here is a written article about this in the Yale Daily News, which describes differing synesthetic experiences of other Yale students as well:

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2008/sep/10/its-not-easy-hearing-green/

So as a general recap of this video, here are (to the best of my ability), some colored examples of what I see, based on some of the chords and sonorities I mentioned. Toward the beginning of the video, I mentioned the Vox Humana stop on the organ--which to me, sheds lots of grey shaky patterns in my mind (it's a shaky sound...go figure!)  When I mentioned sonorities in my interview, I realized later that timbre would be a better word to describe them...as the quality of the sounds sometimes overrule the colors I would normally see based on the chords or notes that I would play or hear. 

So, here are some examples based on timbres (sonorities as I mentioned in the video), and chord colors, based on Tournemire's 'Improvisation sur le 'Victimae Paschali.' : 

 Timbres/Sonorities: 

Vox Humana: Shaky, grey, patterned.

Flauto Mirabilis (flute stop): Pure white, no patterns.

Chord-Color Associations: 

G-minor: Brown with hints of gold. Usually darker than what I could come up with here. 

A minor: Bright green, also usually darker than this appears. 

And finally, E-minor: Bright orange/red. 

So, I hope this gives you a brief synopsis  into how synesthesia plays a part in my musical life. My synesthesia consists of the following: color-music synesthesia, colors with numbers, letters and words, colors with scents, and occasional taste sensations and associations with sounds. The most prominent would be with colors and music (mainly because I'm a musician I'm guessing). Also, having the curse or blessing (whatever view one takes), of having absolute pitch, I am able to discipher one note from another without the aid of a keyboard, and therefore also associate a color with every note. Below are some colored graphs which demonstrate what I see for letters of the alphabet, numbers, days of the week (a main example for words), and notes (using a C-major scale to represent each note): 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O 

P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Eventually, I'll get into more detailed explanations of the shades of colors I see, which are based on major verses minor keys, higher pitches verses lower pitches, as well as further details regarding timbre and tone-quality of pitches and sounds. Finally, once text is added to music, that is a whole other ball game. I can't wait to describe the many different colored sensations I experience with the coupling of text and music.

Anyway, I am very excited to delve further into this subject, as it is of constant fascination for me. My newest 'projects' have been composing, based on my synesthesia. Who knows what will come of it, but for now, it's something fun at least.

Welcome to my crazy-colored world! 

From Subway to SoundTransit

So for the last three and a half years or so, I've sat on the orange and yellow seats, grabbed on the long metal bars, and watched people saunter through, playing flute music, jangling coins in cups and hats,  drooling on the floor, making-out incessantly...you get the picture: the New York subway system.

I have had a love/hate relationship with it for sure.

Love Relationship Includes:

I could get basically anywhere I wanted, any time (even after midnight), and it would take me there.

I could plug my ipod in, tune myself out to the world, and nobody would care or notice (as most people in NYC realize, almost everyone else is doing the same thing, unless they are with a group of people). No matter what is going on--even if someone is shouting at everyone and causing a scene, most of us are frozen in our seats, listening to our various playlists, as if nothing is even happening. A typical New York experience.

I didn't have to drive. I find that the subway or train is so much easier and less stressful for me. Some of my favorite songs on my ipod have been discovered and played over and over again while riding the subway, as well as many books read.

People-watching was always a very entertaining experience. There usually was never a dull moment on the subway.

Hate relationship Includes:

The sitting-way-too-close-to-that-person-you-don't-know part. Yes that happens frequently in NYC, especially during rush hour. Being squeezed up against someone's arm, while your back is against someone's stomach, with nothing to hold onto, as you jolt forward every time the subway stops. Good times, good times.

One Last Observation:

After riding the subway dozens of times, one really gets used to knowing the exact inflections of the automated subway voices. (Lauren, I hope you are reading this!)

"This is a Manhattan-bound N express train. The next stop is...Times Square 42nd Street."

Then the man's voice:

"Stand clear of the closing doors please."

Then the short chime of C-sharp, A plays, following the closing of doors, unless someone tries to pry them open.  Although I swear some of the carts were D-sharp B, but maybe that's just me. Yes, my dorky brain thinks about the pitches of the chimes, only because they've been engrained in my head for years.

And thank you Lauren for providing me this link. Those of you riding the NYC subway are I'm sure familiar with all of these inflections given by this subway guy's voice, whose name is Charles Pellet for those who were actually interested:

So now, I'm switched to new means of transportation: SoundTransit. This includes the Light Rail (which basically gets me where I need to go), the bus system as well as the ferries from time to time.

Love Relationship Includes:

No associations of dread. Any station I stop at, I never fear I will run into someone and feel awkward, mainly because I'm still getting to know people!

The light rail only makes a limited number of stops, but is much cleaner, and so far I've always been able to get a seat.

The bus drivers are very friendly, and they get me to where I need to go.

The ferries are wonderful. If I compare them to Metro North Trains in NYC, I definitely love these so much better! Being on the water is very relaxing. The view of the shiny buildings in Seattle, as we depart on the sea toward an island, is just wonderful. It's so roomy, plus there is a nice cafeteria, and you can even stand outside on the front deck if the weather is nice enough. I quite like this method of transportation for sure.

Hate Relationship Includes:

No subway. It's not as easy to say, where's the nearest subway or cab? Especially if one needs to get home at a late hour.

The light rail closes after midnight.

The people-watching, so far, is not nearly as entertaining. I haven't been serenaded yet by flutes, drums, marimbas, barberhop quartets, you name it. However, that doesn't mean it won't happen!

One Last Observation:

Now, as for lightrail sounds, the closing doors have announcements, but quite different, as it is strictly a woman announcing at all times. First an F tone chimes, and then she says "Now entering...International District, China Town Station...doors to my right."(1:50 in the video below). I like how they tell you  in advance which side you will be exiting from. The chimes before the door closes are all the way up to an E, then C tone, but basically the same rhythm and volume. (See 0:10 of the way-too-long video excerpt):

So, you can see my comparisons now. Either I've utterly wasted your time, or you've thoroughly enjoyed my strange fascination with the sights and sounds of two different public transportation systems. All I know is, it's nice to have something to get around in, without dealing with the crazy traffic in a car!