This Artist With Synesthesia Sees Colors In Music And Paints Your Favorite Songs

David Bowie, “Life on Mars.”

Melissa McCracken grew up with a neurological condition that means she processes songs as colors—a gift that translates into paintings inspired by her favorite musicians.The 26-year-old from Kansas City, Missouri has a rare neurological phenomenon affecting approximately four percent of population that mixes up the brain’s response to certain stimuli as if it had been cross-wired. Synesthesia affects people differently, but McCracken’s form—known as chromesthesia—means she spontaneously and involuntarily sees colors when listening to music. Continue reading »