Mr. Holland's Opus, and synesthesia.

[RangerWickett]

What is music to a race that cannot hear?

What is art to a grimlock? What is comfort to a fire elemental that almost has no body?

I'm watching Mr. Holland's Opus, in which Richard Dreyfuss sings a John Lennon song, and he does sign language at the same time so that deaf people in the audience can understand him. I got to wondering, what fills the whole of music for an entire culture that cannot hear? My mind is areel with the possibilities for fantasy races and cultures, and what their cultures might be like.

If I wanted to relax over dinner with an air elemental, would I light incense while I eat? What brilliant subtleties of the scents a master air elemental chef could create would I miss?

Would a race that speaks with sign language have musicians who are particularly adept at smooth, luscious hand gestures? I mean, anyone can sign 'The hills are alive with the sound of music,' but few have the dexterity do really make it beautiful.

The flame of an old fire elemental is fading, and it's on its last leg. It's an old friend, and you want to make it comfortable. Instead of blankets and pillows, would you slowly massage its flames with specially-made tinder?

Think of other examples, please, especially if they involve odd sixth senses. I recall Piratecat had a Kuo-Toa city where a lot of the architecture could only be appreciated if you could see into the near ethereal plane, like the fishmen can. I love reading stuff like this.

Ooh . . . a species that only exists on internet messageboards. Hmmm......

 

[Dirigible]

Ooh . . . a species that only exists on internet messageboards. Hmmm......

Trolls?

This is a fantastically inspiring thread. Some of the more focused books (the Illithiad and I, Tyrant come to mind) have imagined nonhuman creature's aesthetic ideals - mindflayers enjoy pure, frozen thoughts (essence of terror on this pedestal, frinstance).

Could an echolocative spcies use carefully shaped objects and cavities to create sound-holograms? Regions of space that cause echoes to fold in on themselves and apparently map out interesting objects?

 

[SynapsisSynopsis]

Would a race that speaks with sign language have musicians who are particularly adept at smooth, luscious hand gestures? I mean, anyone can sign 'The hills are alive with the sound of music,' but few have the dexterity do really make it beautiful.

I think, if they had no hearing, that arts of form like dance would be to them as music is to us.

I've always thought of all the senses as different interpretations of touch; you might be able to invent new senses altogether, in that way, and come up with some very interesting ways those theoretical senses could be represented as artforms.

 

[JediSoth]

Don't forget, that a lot of deaf people can feel the music, even though they can't hear it per se. I'm certain it's a different experience than when someone drives up next to you with a thumpin' bass going on in their car that rattles all the windows in the intersection. It's probably more like having a subwoofer against the wall and playing something smooth and mellow while someone in the next room is immersed in the bathtub.

Speaking of which, music by underwater races would be REALLY interesting, since sound carries much better and further underwater.

JediSoth

 

[diaglo]

to paraphrase an old quote:

those who can .... do.

those who can't .... teach.

 

[Piratecat]

I recently had something similar. The PCs were in a kuo-toa city, and it took them a little while to realize that all of the art and ornamentation were mobile sculptures on the ethereal plane. Kuo-toa eyes pick up moving ethereal objects, so the art was designed to sway in the ethereal breezes... and was placed on another plane where it could be seen but not get in the way. It was a really effective touch, as the players were a little freaked out when they figured out why the city had no visible art. I think they thought I was just being lazy and didn't want to describe it.

 

[Lorthanoth]

to paraphrase an old quote:

those who can .... do.

those who can't .... teach.

What's the relevance of this comment? Some of the most talented and hard working people I know are teachers.

 

[Wrath of the Swarm]

Those who can teach, teach.

Those who can neither teach, nor accomplish anything useful, make pointless, snarky comments.

 

[diaglo]

What's the relevance of this comment? Some of the most talented and hard working people I know are teachers.

i edited out the paraphrased part at Pkitty's request.


the original statement only relates to this thread in one way...

the creature/monster that lacks the ability...sight, sound, touch, smell, taste... doesn't know that (s)he lacks it. (s)he teaches those who have the ability how to compensate for the supposed lack thereof.

 

[Piratecat]

At my request, Diaglo's comment was kindly changed from something a little more provocative. As a result it seems somewhat out of place. Don't worry about it, please, and keep the thread on topic.

EDIT - Diaglo beat me to it!

I think there's a wonderful adventure seed in this synesthesia concept somewhere. How would you send the PCs to bring back a type of art that they can't even comprehend exists?