Seeing Color/Shapes When Listening to Music- Synesthesia

One big thing that influences my artwork is the ability to see colors and shapes when I listen to music.  It also evokes emotions that also tie into the colors.  I have always had this ability so I did not think that it was not everyone's experience until last year. 

When driving with my family, one of my sons likes to listen to pop music and change stations all the time.  At times I tell him to wait, other times when certain music comes on that would make me feel suffocated and seeing twisting dark colors, I would either change the music or turn it off.  This left my family feeling frustrated and feeling like I do not approve of their music.  My wife and I had this conversation one day because she wanted to understand why and also because my son felt insecure around asking to listen to music in the vehicle.  
I started explaining how music creates color images and different shapes and depending on the music it can be very distracting while driving.  I realized that not everyone has this, I had never vocalized it before nor had I really thought about it, "it" was just...reality for me.     

Some music is fairly neutral and I can listen while driving.  Others create a range of colors, shapes, emotion that I am unable to listen due to the distraction.  Percussion instruments create so much sensation and color that I had to stop listening while driving. There was a movie quite a few years ago called King of the Hill which has electronic and percussion instruments as well as piano soundtrack.  It produces some brilliant, vibrant color and shapes for me.  Not only do I "see" color, I see images that are similar to light refracting, shimmering which becomes part of my inspiration in the glass work and creating the bevels. 

Now that I am more aware of what is going on I have been working on a couple of ideas for paintings to show this more directly.  It has always been a part of the paintings and glass but I want to work on specific designs that I have been seeing and colors associated.  I look forward to sharing with you as they progress.