I Think I Can Smell Colors

[Cow Poke]

Yeah, you knew I was weird, but ever since I've been at my new Church, I have noticed faint unusual smells that just seem to hang in the air. Pleasant smells - "clean" smells - almost clinical or fresh. Nothing bad.

I've mentioned this to Mrs CP, because I would wonder if she was trying a new laundry detergent or softener. That wasn't it, so I was puzzled. There are about 4 distinct smells, one of which is kind of like 'vanilla chlorine'. One of the smells is the faint "skunk" component of fresh brewed coffee, whether I have coffee around or not.

One day, I was explaining one of the smells, and Mrs CP said "that's your blue smell". I didn't know what she was talking about, but she said, "when you wear your blue shirt, you talk about that particular smell". Over the next few months, it appeared that each of the smells was associated with a color.

I would never have figured this out, because black and blue and dark brown, for example, all look the same to me. I don't do so good seeing colors, but it seems I can smell them.

(And, no, Rogue, I apparently don't have a smell associated with yellow )

So, I've been asking about this - including my doctor - and have been finding some weird things. It's called synesthesia. I don't smell months, and I don't have words or letters associated with colors, like the lady in that article, but I can identify with some of the stuff she says.

And I've only noticed this the past 2 1/2 years or so, since I've been at my new Church. I thought I'd see if anybody else has heard about anything like this, and start this thread as a place to keep note on it.

The smells aren't strong enough or consistent enough to make a clear association, but blue is definitely vanilla chlorine. Or maybe chlorine vanilla. I keep getting whiffs of it now, because, apparently, I'm wearing my blue Tractor Supply t-shirt.

So, yeah, I'm weirder than you thought.

[mossrose]

Yes, you are.

MelMak has always linked certain colours to levels of pain.

And it seems we had another conversation about synesthesia before.......

[Cow Poke]

Yes, you are.

MelMak has always linked certain colours to levels of pain.

And it seems we had another conversation about synesthesia before.......

WE did? Or you and MelMak? I remember talking about coffee and "skunk" smell.....

[mossrose]

WE did? Or you and MelMak? I remember talking about coffee and "skunk" smell.....

It was another thread about weird stuff.



I'll have to ask him if he remembers where it is.

[mossrose]

Found it!

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/sh...ht=synesthesia

[Cow Poke]

Found it!

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/sh...ht=synesthesia

Wow, that's weird! And I was even in that thread.....

then there's this.....

I hadn't heard of the term before, so I looked it up. After reading a bit, I figured out that I think I actually do have a form of it called chromesthesia, because I have perfect pitch and do tend to associate different key signature types with different colors -- sharps mean warm colors, flats mean cool colors. I didn't know until now that that had a name.

I also have perfect pitch - always have. From the pulpit for example, sometimes I will just decide to lead a hymn, and will start it without instruments, and the pianist will step over to the piano and just start playing, and I'm right in tune. I don't know music - never studied music, but I can start songs off in the right key every single time.

I don't associate key signatures with colors, though. I don't think. Maybe if I knew what key signatures were, I would. But I don't.

[mossrose]

Key signature is at the beginning of every staff of every piece of sheet music.

It is the flats and sharps and stuff that tell you what key to sing the music in.

I know this because I asked MelMak.

[mossrose]

I also have perfect pitch - always have. From the pulpit for example, sometimes I will just decide to lead a hymn, and will start it without instruments, and the pianist will step over to the piano and just start playing, and I'm right in tune. I don't know music - never studied music, but I can start songs off in the right key every single time.

OR, the pianist is good at transposing?



But you probably do have perfect pitch.

[Cow Poke]

Key signature is at the beginning of every staff of every piece of sheet music.

It is the flats and sharps and stuff that tell you what key to sing the music in.

Yeah, that part I know, but I don't know how to read them. If, however, we normally sing a particular song in the key of C, I can start singing it in that key just cause it's in my head that way.

I know this because I asked MelMak.

My daughter is quite an accomplished pianist - she helps me with key signatures, like when I have to tell they guitar guys what key we're in. She tries to help me look smart, but it's a big task.

[Cow Poke]

OR, the pianist is good at transposing?

That's funny, cause the pianist is my daughter, and she IS good at transposing, and we have one of those fancy pianos where you can just push a button and adjust keys. But she never has to when I sing.

Back at ya!

But you probably do have perfect pitch.

So I've been told. The first time I ever heard that was when I was a kid and we had a visiting missionary - a blind man - and he asked me to help him learn one of the songs our church sang. He played the mandolin, banjo and fiddle, and as I sang, he just jumped in and started playing. That's the first time I was ever told, "you have perfect pitch". I figured he was talking baseball. Couldn't figure out how he would know that.

[mossrose]

That's very cool. I do not have perfect pitch.

But I can throw a harmony at almost anything without having to have the notes in front of me.

[Cow Poke]

That's very cool. I do not have perfect pitch.

But I can throw a harmony at almost anything without having to have the notes in front of me.

Yup - I never "learned" harmony, but can just do it naturally. I love music.

I think I told the story that my youngest daughter (our pianist) started playing the piano when she was 4 or 5. My wife was trying to chord Amazing Grace on the piano - Mrs CP is an excellent flautist, but always wished she could play piano - and when she got frustrated and walked away from the piano, Jay just crawled up on the bench, poked a couple keys, played some actual chords, then started playing Amazing Grace.

We actually found a piano teacher who ALSO learned to play by ear before taking lessons, so she knew how to help Jay, and Jay became quite the piano player. I don't know HOW MANY piano recitals I sat through, but it was a whole bunch of Saturdays! I had to sit through nearly 2 hours of all these little kids hammering out "twinkle twinkle little star" before Jay finally got to play, and it was like - WOW!!!! While folks were applauding, I would always yell out "That's My BABY!"

Now, what's funny is that Jesse - the piano teacher - was fair skinned and red headed - BRIGHT red hair - just like my Jenny (Jay) so people just automatically assumed Jenny was Jesse's daughter!

[mossrose]

I grew up singing. My whole family did. All my sisters took piano lessons......I did not. However, I can pick out a tune on a keyboard. My family sang together in church, and one of my greatest joys was singing with my Dad, a wonderful tenor.

Mr. mossy's mother was also very musical, and so he also is. No instruments, but he has a great bass. I directed a choir at one church we attended, and Mr. mossy also directed choirs. We sang to our kids. They sang. They still sing. My daughter is a soprano, MelMak is also a great bass. The kids both had piano lessons for years, and played in the school bands. Daughter played various instruments.......pocket trumpet, oboe and percussion. MelMak was pure percussion. And MelMak writes music! And arranges existing music wonderfully!

I sing to my girl ALL the time. She loves music and I am glad. As Martin Luther once said,

“A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”

She asked me one day if I had a song for EVERYTHING! I sort of do...........

[Cow Poke]

She asked me one day if I had a song for EVERYTHING! I sort of do...........

I am quite infamous for coming up with a song on the spot for just about any situation.

In the pulpit, it will mostly be a gospel song, usually an older one -- otherwise, it's likely to be a country western song.

[mossrose]

I am quite infamous for coming up with a song on the spot for just about any situation.

In the pulpit, it will mostly be a gospel song, usually an older one -- otherwise, it's likely to be a country western song.

The Girl asks me about songs for stuff like dragons and crocodiles and such. And yes, I have songs for those!

I don't know very many country western songs, though.

But I am getting good at Veggie Tales!