Kaitlyn Hova is a San Francisco-based neuroscientist, musician and code engineer. A classically trained violinist, Hova has played to sold-out stadiums and arenas with such musical heavyweights as Rod Stewart, Mannheim Steamroller, Mary J. Blige, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Josh Groban. Her numerous solo appearances include performing the national anthem at the College World Series. Early in her musical career, Hova realized she correlated music notes and other sounds with specific colors and as such could “see” sound, an ability she used to learn songs by ear and to rapidly adjust to key changes during live performances.
After attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Hova learned that her ability to see sound is a form of synesthesia. Her interest in the phenomenon led her to earn a degree in neuroscience and to create The Synesthesia Network, an online resource for researchers, synesthetes and those interested in the condition to discuss and learn about Synesthesia.
Since creating The Synesthesia Network, Hova has given numerous talks and lectures on the subject, most recently at the World Science Festival in Manhattan. Hova’s husband, Matt, a light and electrical engineer, designed a light show to give audiences a simulated experience of pitch-to-color synesthesia that responds to a violin in real time.
TEDxOmaha is an independently organized TED event. As a part of the global TED community, we connect locally to explore the ideas and situations that affect our cultures, environments, and minds.
