Drawn to Music ~ The Art of Synesthesia Featuring Lennie Peterson & Wayne Naus

Join us on Saturday, April 13th for this truly fascinating music & art presentation featuring artist/musician Lennie Peterson & jazz pianist, Wayne Naus.  In this one hour informal and interactive setting, Peterson will create one of his 6’ x 3’ composer portraits in front of the live audience using Naus’s live improvisational music for inspiration. There will be a pre-concert Tea Room Reception beginning at 2:00 pm; followed by the performance at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $25 for adults & $10 for students available on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drawn-to-music-the-art-of-synesthesia-pre-concert-tea-room-reception-tickets-863387965647  and at the Door.  The South Harwich Meetinghouse is located at 270 Chatham Rd, Harwich, MA. For further information visit our website at www.southharwichmeetinghouse.com or call 508 364-5223.

“It was around 30 years ago now. I was a professor at Berklee College of Music back then and I was in the studio producing a song for one of my students”, says Artist/Musician/Educator Lennie Peterson. “As we were listening back to the recording, I asked if one of the musicians could play his part ‘more curvy’”. “There was a very uncomfortable silence in the recording booth, maybe even giggling. But, mostly I remember blank stares from the five musicians around me. Finally, the recording engineer said, ‘Ohhh, you must have Synesthesia.’”

“It was the first time I had ever heard the term,” Peterson says. “Crazy as it sounds, until that point in my life, I thought everyone saw shapes when they listen to music.”

Peterson was recently featured on PBS Newshour

(https://watch.ripbs.org/video/sights-and-sounds-tlm4qj/) discussing “Synesthesia”, the topic of his Artist Talk and live demonstration at The South Harwich Meeting House. The presentation will also feature special guest, jazz pianist Wayne Naus.

The program will include the exhibition of a few of Peterson’s large scale paintings, drawings, and composer portraits.

Lennie Peterson has presented to colleges, art spaces, cultural organizations, businesses, art galleries and museums around the world speaking about the neurological condition of “Synesthesia” where any one of the five senses- taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing- co-activates with another of the five senses in an unusual way. In Peterson’s case, he “sees” music and translates the shapes, colors, and images of that music onto his canvas or paper.

Synesthesia is a phenomena dating back to Greek antiquity where it was commonly referred to as “Synesthesia In Art”. In 1812 a German physician, Georg [sic] Sachs, was the first person to medically identify the condition of synesthesia. Since then, other studies have been conducted in educational and medical areas, both having remarkable results.

“I’m fortunate to have the outlets of both music and visual art to communicate this experience,” Peterson says.

As the program unfolds, Lennie and Wayne engage the audience in an interactive discussion related to visual art and music relevant to improvisation and synesthesia.

Wayne Naus says, “While I’m playing and Lennie is drawing in front of the audience, there is a sort of ‘creative triangle’ that happens. Lennie feeds off of what I’m improvising on piano with his art process, and the audience in turn feeds off the visual. Coming back to me, it completes the triangle. It’s a very collaborative experience.”

At the end of the one hour presentation, Lennie will join Wayne on trombone to perform a musical selection related to the portrait that was created. The program will close with a Q and A and open discussion with the audience members.

Peterson says, “Currently, brain scientists have identified over 80 types of synesthesia but, honestly, I think we’ll eventually realize there’s no limit to the possibilities. And I think, once people are open to that, it can help to lead a more spontaneous, creative, and fulfilling life.”

Lennie Peterson has traveled the world several times dedicating his life to visual art, music, and arts education in a wide variety of capacities.

His award-winning artwork and illustrations have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in galleries throughout the United States and his art has been purchased throughout the world including Japan, Spain, Argentina, Wales, and, most recently, Kuwait.

Peterson is also a former professor at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and currently a professional freelance musician performing over 300 dates a year, including trombonist with the World Music band, Entrain.

He has toured extensively appearing with several renowned symphony orchestras in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls.

Peterson’s late father was a musician and his mother an artist.

He currently resides in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife Samantha, their cat Homeslice and their dog Doris.

Wayne Naus is the pianist, director and composer for the Art Ensemble of Cape Cod, Wayne has toured and recorded worldwide with the Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Maynard Ferguson and Arturo Sandoval big bands. Performances include Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival. While touring, he had the opportunity to perform with numerous musical celebrities including Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.

He was a faculty member at Berklee College of Music for 35 years retiring in 2010 and he has published numerous articles and books on music arranging and composition. Since moving to the Cape, he has primarily focused on piano performance and composition.

He volunteers at the Monomoy High School as the founder and director of the Monomoy Jazz band. He and his wife, Mary, also volunteer at the Cape Cod Food Pantry and Harwich Conservation Trust.