Description text goes here‘Coloratura’ is an Italian term that literally means “coloring” or “to color”. In the musical world, the term is used to refer to vocal trills and ornamentation used by classical/operatic singers.

Many of the terms we use in reference to art or music (e.g. chromatic, form, harmony, scale, composition, texture, tone) overlap both disciplines and the name of this project reflects this relationship.

Electricity! Each paint brush is wired to a circuit board that connects wirelessly to a computer. Each brush is assigned to an individual note in the musical scale; when a brush touches the canvas, it triggers a note on the computer.

I use music production software to add various effects to the notes and to loop multiple musical phrases on top of each other.

For most of my life, my primary artistic focus has been music, but I’ve always been interested in the relationship between visual art and music. I am fascinated by people who have synesthesia–people who are able to see sounds or hear colors.

I don’t have synesthesia, but I developed Coloratura as a way to recreate this phenomenon and create my music in an innovative way.

Ultimately, I want to connect with my audience and provide them with a multi-sensory dynamic experience that will make them think deeply about the parallels between color and sound.

Item descriptionYes! Determining the color of each note was one of the most difficult parts of this project! When I began developing Coloratura, I used a scale developed by Alexander Scriabin.

As I was painting, I found that some of the most beautiful color schemes sounded horrible when “played” together, and some basic chords looked hideous when interpreted visually. I wanted to find a scale that would create a beautiful balance in color and sound.

After a great deal of trial & error, I decided to use a modified color/music scale, based on a system developed by artist Steve Zieverink. Of all the scales I researched, it was the most visually and musically harmonious.

I would love to see more visual & performing artists incorporating Coloratura into their practices to create unique works of art.

I’m also interested in developing Coloratura as a tool for art/music therapy, since it has played a therapeutic role in my life.

To accomplish these goals, I’m actively seeking out people in the art, music, and STEM fields who can provide technical support, research and development ideas, performance opportunities, networking opportunities, or financial assistance.

If you’re interested, please email me at camryivory@gmail.com or fill out the contact form.