This reading discusses how boundaries between different art forms being broken down in the 1960s allowed artists to create art that had a wider reach. Musicians were also picking up the paintbrush and vice versa. However, it did not stop at people becoming interdisciplinary. Artist-musicians were combining sounds and visuals in one performance, much like we do in our Live Coding class. The reading uses the word ‘synesthesia’ to describe this phenomenon. Synesthesia refers to when you experience one sense through another, for example, hearing shapes or tasting sound. It really is a beautiful way to create art. Rather than just painting a picture, why not combine visuals with sounds and paint what you see? In a way, I believe that human beings have been a little bit Synesthetic (is that a word?) since the beginning of time. What I mean by this is, when we hear music, we have certain colours we associate with the type of sounds we are listening to. For instance, when I listen to an upbeat pop song, I might envision bright colours alongside it such as pink, yellow, orange etc. If I go to a heavy metal concert, I will expect to see darker visuals.

Synesthesia is an important thing to consider when I create my Live Coding projects, such as what visuals best complement the sounds I am creating. The music and the visuals should not be treated as separate things, but as one new art form.