Press "Enter" to skip to content

Color and Rhythm lecture connects the arts and music

Last updated on February 1, 2016

by Jim Busha// Staff Writer

‘To hear the color and see the sound’ was the idea behind Color and Rhythm, a lecture series given in the Volunteer State Community Rochelle Center, by Sue Mulcahy, professor of Art, and Nancy Slaughter, professor of music.

The lecture was open to anyone interested in art and music or the relationship between the two.

“The arts all have common ground. We talk about the similarities between the languages of art and languages of music. The series started as collaboration between the art and music departments here on campus. We wanted to see how they influenced each other,” said Mulcahy.
To begin, everyone was told to close their eyes and relax before a sound was played.
Everyone was then told to open their eyes and say what image they saw in their head when they heard the sound.
Throughout the lecture, the audience was  asked to share which sounds were associated with the images in front of them.
“It inspires critical thinking and gets people to understand that there are real connections between art and music.  Different music can change someone’s perception.
“If you look at two different pictures side by side and listen to one song or sound, it could change your opinion on which image you relate to more. It may help you broaden your personal relationship with art and music. A painting you never liked or didn’t understand could become understood or interesting to you,” said Slaughter.
Slaughter and Mulcahy said the next lecture hasn’t been scheduled but there will be another one coming soon and that they encourage anyone interested in music, art, or both, to attend.
“It generates conversation, and helps me view art and music through broader eyes,” said Cindy Wyatt, professor of English
“Nancy and Sue force me to think about art and music in different ways.   Anyone who didn’t attend missed out,” said Ben Graves, instructor of Music.

Comments are closed.

Copyright, 2023, TheSettler.online All content is property of the author.