Innovative Practice of Enhancing Musical Perceptions

Noppakorn Auesirinucroch

The human sensory system is complex and enigmatic but yet, attractive. Why are we continuously applying expressional words from another sensory modality and understanding it without any suspicion? In classical music, usage of the term dolce (sweet) to specify particular musical tones is frequently applied despite the word initially used to express a character of specific taste, which seems unrelated to music. This curiosity affects the researcher to explores a specific sensorial phenomenon, a crossmodal correspondence. The study's objectives are to comprehend and utilise the topic of crossmodal correspondences to design multisensory performance with an emphasis on sound-taste associations. This exposition contains scientific reviews on crossmodal correspondences, interviews with a neurologist, and personal experience at a fine dining restaurant; additionally, the related subject, synaesthesia. Lastly, a review on the process of creating a flavour musical piece for solo guitar in collaboration with a prominent Thai composer, Piyawat Louilarpprasert, has been elaborated.

As a performer, it is always intriguing to work and learn diverse perceptions from people of other expertise. Since 2018, working with Tacet(i) Ensemble, a contemporary ensemble based in Thailand, has provided opportunities for me to collaborate with people from various backgrounds, careers, and cultures. From personal perception, the collaborative process is a critical driving aspect of the community, the economy, and new possibilities in every system, including music and art societies.

This research aims to generate the art form, which cooperates human senses in collaboration with experts from various professions by focusing on two senses, gustation and audition. The content of the research includes 5 parts: (1) Inspirations on the topic - the provocative factors which triggered impressions/exploration on the topic of multisensory/ crossmodal correspondences and the experience at a fine dining restaurant. (2) Interview - an interview with a neurological doctor to explore the possibility from a neuroscience perspective. (3) Crossmodal correspondences in both flavour perception and audition – elaboration on terminology, types, characteristics, and scientific outcomes on the topic. (4) Synaesthesia - a terminology, cause of the condition and cases on this relative subject. (5) Applications and directions toward musical performance - an integration and collaboration process with the composer to design flavoured musical piece.

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