What song sounds like strawberries? Can the right playlist relieve pain? And why does classical music make us spend money? A fascinating new shows tries to answer all these questions and more
I’m always happy to talk about my taste in music, but what about the taste of music? A new exhibition at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum is asking visitors to match certain types of music with tastes. Does this sound sweet, sour, bitter, salty?
Ridiculous, you might think, and as I listen to each of the sounds – screechy, plinkety-plonky, lush, mournful – initially I am reluctant to make my selections, fearing ridicule in front of curator Steven Leech. But then something magical happens: the screechy music does indeed suddenly bring to mind bitter lemons and the lush sounds do conjure up strawberries.
