Color and music in the New Age

Have you ever walked into a room, and the colors just spoke to you? Or heard a song that seemed to echo exactly how you felt inside? Color and music have a unique way of touching our lives, reaching places words sometimes can’t. They evoke memories, stir emotions, and transform our moods in ways that feel almost magical.

The Language of Color

Colors have a language all their own. A bold red can ignite passion or urgency, while soft blues tend to soothe and calm us. When I’m painting, I often let the colors guide me, tapping into a deep well of emotion that words can’t express. It’s a dance between me and the canvas, with each brushstroke carrying a feeling I may not even be fully aware of until it’s there in front of me. Whether I’m working with bright, joyful hues or deeper, moodier tones, color has the power to tell a story that transcends the paint.

The Soundtrack of Life

Music has a similar effect. There are times when a certain melody will come on, and instantly, I’m transported back to a moment I thought I’d forgotten. It’s like the soundtrack to my life is playing in the background, reminding me of the highs, the lows, and everything in between. When I lost my voice and turned to painting, music was still there, quietly pulling me through the dark days. Now, I find myself singing to my artwork, almost as if it helps bring the colors to life.

Finding Harmony

What happens when you bring the two together—color and music? It’s like creating a harmony that resonates deep within. The rhythm of a song can inspire the movement of my brush, while the hues I choose might reflect the way a particular melody makes me feel. They blend together, not just on the canvas but in life itself. When I’m feeling stuck or overwhelmed, I reach for a playlist that matches my mood or immerse myself in vibrant colors that lift my spirits.

Color and Music in The New Age

Recently I came across a book I’d had for a while now, my interest piqued by my decision to learn guitar.

The original copyright is for 1964, the year of my conception, and was published by New Age Press. Great fun for a spiritual woman like me, especially in 2024 when spirituality is enjoying a renaissance.

I have always been drawn to color, and for many year, I ran a successful color consultancy business called The Colour Girl. I helped Wellingtonians feel more confident and happier, too, by wearing colors that made their soul sing.

It’s fun to reread this book and see what ‘new’ wisdom it can impart to me. With chapter headings including “Color significance of the Twelve Zodiacal Signs and a Libran birthday coming soon, I am told Yellow is my soul color.

The color yellow has tremendous potency

“The color yellow has tremendous potency and bears the signature of wisdom and peace. Also it possesses great power to calm and soothe,” Corrinne Heline writes.

Perhaps that’s why I love these two paintings so much.

Spring abstract artwork by Cassandra Gaisford

Spring, Cassandra Gaisford, https://shop.thejoyfulartist.co.nz/product/spring-1/

Hope Springs Eternal Abstract Artwork Cassandra Gaisford

Hope Springs Eternal, Cassandra Gaisford, https://shop.thejoyfulartist.co.nz/product/hope-springs-eternal/

But then I love all colors. Did you know you can view my paintings by color? Take a peek here: scroll down the right of the page: https://shop.thejoyfulartist.co.nz/product-category/art/

scriabin’s correlation of musical notes with color

During his lifetime, the Russian composer Scriabin was primarily known as a pianist, with Igor Stravinsky marveling at his phenomenal playing. Corrinne Heline writes that he was also a pioneer in the field of combining music with color and correlated musical notes with color.

Like painter Joan Mitchell, Scriabin is said to have suffered from the natural condition of synesthesia, which made him associate musical notes and keys with colors. For example, the pitch “D” represented bright yellow, while “A” looked like dark green, and “D flat” felt like deep purple. In addition, in his late works traditional tonality is replaced by a set of unique harmonic spaces that inhabit a world of polyrhythmic uncertainty. In his quest to transfigure the word, Scriabin thought it necessary to confront the forces of evil. His Ninth Sonata is aptly nicknamed “The Black Mass,” and Scriabin tellingly regarded the performance of this work as “practicing sorcery.” Whatever the case may be, it is certainly a work of great musical concentration and extreme emotional intensity. (Source: https://interlude.hk/taste-color-musicalexander-scriabin)

Creating Your Own Color and Music Palette

Whether you’re an artist, a musician, or someone who simply loves the way colors and music make you feel, it’s worth taking a moment to notice how they affect your everyday life. Surround yourself with colors that bring you joy. Listen to music that stirs your soul. Let them be tools for self-expression, ways to connect more deeply with who you are.

In the end, both color and music remind us that there’s beauty in every moment—even the messy, complicated ones. Together, they help us find balance and harmony in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming.

upgrade your life and creativity

We often find ourselves at the mercy of inspiration, waiting for the right moment or mood to strike. But what if you could upgrade your life and creativity by taking intentional steps right now? What if, instead of crippling yourself with perfectionism, you allowed yourself to learn with joy.

I hope you enjoy this wee video. I wanted to introduce you to my new studio friend—my guitar. I’m not very accomplished with it yet, but the main thing is to lean into the joy of learning and constant practice. I wanted to share this video because it’s also symbolic of how we are with learning to paint. There is a lot to learn with my guitar. Somebody asked me today, ‘Is it very difficult?’

And I guess it’s a bit like painting; it’s not difficult when you learn all the little tips and techniques and tools of the trade, like how to strum properly, how to pick, how to play, to do particular chords, how to get them to all flow together, how to tune your guitar all that kind of thing.

But I thought I would like to do something just for the pure, pure pleasure of it and the pleasure of learning, and just having something that was just a little meditation; and I think our art can be a little meditation for us too—if we let go of perfectionism! Do you agree?

COME AND PLAY WITH ME: WOMEN’S ART RETREAT Learn to paint colorful, joyful abstracts with award-winning artist Cassandra Gaisford. Small, social, in-person art workshop in Kerikeri.

Consider getting a group of besties or work colleagues together for a fun and educational play date Details: https://www.thejoyfulartist.co.nz/art-retreats/

October-12-and-13-art-retreat-Art-retreat

How do you use color and music in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time, stay colorful and keep the music playing.