Moving to music

Post Reply New Topic

I'm curious if other aspie-like peoples encounter this. I understand it is a common trait to move around when there is music playing. I've been watching some videos on Irish bluegrass fiddle, as I used to play violin when I was younger and was interested in taking up this variation. I observed in the videos the players often moving around excessively, not only what was required to play the music. I've observed it in other people too - whenever music is playing they have to move themselves to it. I've heard it said that even babies do this.
I never have. Even when I was a child it was noted that I would just sit there and stare. I'm also an abysmal dancer, because I don't feel that compulsion to jerk my body around just because I hear music. I'm interested in taking up fiddle again because mastering the skill involved interests me, but even when I played violin and piano, I never did this excessive movement, and my performance never suffered for the lack. Oddly, in watching videos of singing performances, I've noted adult performers tend to do the same thing - contort their bodies and faces because they're singing - but the child performers don't.
I'm curious if this is an emotional expression, and that's why it tends to be lost on me. Anyone else find something similar?

He also likes Michael Jackson and Queen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNAAZ5Nt ... re=channel

I seem to stim a lot when I move to music.

I move around to music, a lot. I could be doing chores, dancing, drumming or typing to the beat of the music. I used to bring my headset to work, but I can't do that anymore.

i used to rock back and forth to music all the time but not so much lately. and i cant dance at all.

I think it's some kind of stimming.
Making music can be very emotional I think.

I find it hard not to move to some kinds of music. It depends a little from my own mood.
But, as far as I know, music has always (in the history of mankind) been used to create awareness for a certain feeling or atmosphere.
And I think no musician would choose music for public performances if this music doesn't give him or her a certain stimulation.

Um, I suppose I didn't actually reply to the original question.

moving to music is one of my basic needs

I kinda have to since I perform often.

When I hear music, if it appeals to me I usually find myself drumming to it with my fingers, or singing harmonies, or stamping my foot to the beat. The music club I'm in has a tradition of blurring the difference between performers and the audience, they sometimes hand out tambourines and shakers. I'm a lousy dancer so I don't do that.

I'm only too well aware that musicians move about while they're performing.....I still usually end up glued to the spot when I perform, because I've got too much else to think about, but while rehearsing I sometimes move about more, if it's a song I know well.....though I can easily get carried away and mess up the playing. Many years ago when I was in a rock band, the lead guitarist and I did this thing where we walked off the stage onto the long tables that the audience were sitting at, then we'd walk the length of the tables and back....it was a pre-conceived idea of mine to do that, just for show, and although we accidentally kicked over a couple of beers, nobody seemed to mind (I'd have been furious if somebody had knocked my Guiness over). I also used to walk about on the stage during the lead guitar breaks, which wasn't too hard because I was only playing rhythm guitar and I knew the parts very well.....most of my brain was free to concentrate on a bit of "pretentious posing" as we called it. But being the lead singer, I was pretty much chained to the microphone for most of the time.

Showmanship gets the crowd going more than musicianship does, in my experience. Even if the sound is mediocre, if you slip in a few daft gimmicks the audience will very likely enjoy the act a lot more. I just wish my brain had enough system resources to make showmanship a big part of my performance, instead of just giving them the odd hint of it now and then.

Yes, I always feel compelled to move my foot to the beat - if it has a beat.