Visually-impaired composer interprets famous artworks & turns them into music

A VISUALLY impaired composer has interpreted the sounds of some of the world’s most famous artworks and turned them into music.

Bobby Goulder, who has Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy and cannot sight-read music, collaborated with Dolby Laboratories and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to create an immersive, accessible album inspired by some of the most iconic pieces of artwork from Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash to life.

Sound of a Masterpiece, which also enlisted award-winning composers from the New Radiophonic Workshop, known for creating the Doctor Who theme tune, uses Dolby Atmos sound to help visually impaired people to experience art in a new way.

The musical version of Edvard Munch’s The Scream uses a dark, heavy piano to represent the sense of anxiety, which is further emphasised by distorted nature soundscapes that crescendo overwhelming climax.

Meanwhile, Water-Lily Pond by Claude Monet incorporates a softer, dream-like piano tune in the style of Claude Debussy, given his contribution to the impressionist movement, with rippling music and water droplet sounds to recreate the shimmering effect of the light on the water surface.

And the soundtrack to the Mona Lisa applies major and minor tonalities to bring out the enigma of her identity and expression, as well as eerily plucked piano strings, with an echoing sound to represent an uncanny version of Renaissance period instrumentation.

Bobby Goulder said: “The project combines several things close to my heart – the relationships across multidisciplinary art forms; the advancement of musical and sonic creative techniques; and the accessibility of the arts to the visually impaired community.

“Our hope is to give everyone a heightened experience of these paintings, giving each one a story rather than a snapshot or an impression.

“We also hope that those, like me, viewing with vision loss, or unable to view at all, will connect with the images beyond the spoken audio descriptions.”

The Sound of a Masterpiece album, available on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Tidal, with all proceeds going to the RNIB, also aims to help the wider population experience famous artwork in a different way, after research found 46 per cent struggle to feel a deeper connection to art when viewing it.

Nearly six in ten (59 per cent) aren’t confident in their ability to interpret or understand it without guidance.

Meanwhile, 28 per cent have avoided visiting art galleries because they’re embarrassed they won’t ‘get it’.

Half (51 per cent) agreed that linking artwork to sensory experiences, such as sound or music, would make it more engaging.

And 37 per cent said a musical interpretation of an art piece would help them appreciate it more.

Daniela Bischof, senior director at Dolby Laboratories, which commissioned the research of 2,000 adults, added: “We’ve been able to push the boundaries of storytelling through sound, allowing listeners to step into the world of each artwork and experience its essence in a way that goes beyond what’s possible with traditional audio.

“We hope Sound of a Masterpiece will enable listeners to really feel and connect with iconic artworks, whilst making art accessible through sound – inspiring everyone to connect more deeply with creativity, emotion and history.”

While many of those polled via OnePoll.com want to see iconic works in their original galleries, the biggest barrier for 55 per cent is the distance required to do so.

A further 53 per cent also cited wider costs, such as travel, as a reason they aren’t able to view the paintings.

The most sought-after paintings people want to experience in their original settings are Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (32 per cent) and Edvard Munch’s The Scream (32 per cent), followed closely by The Starry Night (31 per cent) and Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond (21 per cent).

Robin Spinks, head of inclusive design at RNIB, said: “We are delighted to collaborate on innovative projects such as Dolby’s Sound of a Masterpiece.

“As a low-vision person, I have a limited visual appreciation of art.

“But the depth, texture, and richness provided by the amazing soundtracks really bring these works to life.

“Many more blind and partially sighted people will be able to have a heightened experience through this fantastic project and appreciate artwork in new and meaningful ways.”