Do room colors affect how we hear music?


Scientists studied how colors could impact how we hear music, and discovered that it can impact our perception of timbre and warmth.  Results were published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America in February of this year.  Interestingly, experienced listeners appeared to sense they could detect differences in timbre to a greater degree than casual listeners.  There was no difference in perception of loudness.

This is another example of the amazing way our minds work.  Clearly, room color does not have any real impact on sound, but what we see affects what we think we hear, not unlike when we switch out equipment and accessories. 

karlss0n

So, what’s the optimal color? Can one simply wear colored/shaded glasses?

Everything matters. Colors/tone, lighting, smell/scent affects mood and therefore how we perceive and enjoy music.

In my experience the color of the guitar affects the inpiration to play - And If I’m in the mood to drink good wine, my tastebuds react differently than if I just have a good glass because it’s there.  Conversely, when we’re more inspired to listen to music, the brain operates differently - if the lighting in the room creates that inspiration then so be it.  Music/sound is not one dimensional, there are many human factors that affect the way we hear it.

I think there's a strong connection between aural and visual perception. And I'm not alone in finding that when I wear my glasses while listening the sound comes into focus too. Is it all in my mind? I'm sure it is! When the brain is not struggling to make sense of a blurry visual image it frees up processing space for aural input. When things look blurry they sound a bit blurry. Try it if you are lucky enough to need glasses.