having an emotional repsonse to music....

[Will__]

Just a quickie; was talking about this the other night with my girlf.
I have a very high emotional response to some music that I love. If I want to, I can force it, but I can and have had in the past an amazing response to some tunes, both classical and modern for the first time and for the 63rd.

She likes music, but has never had an emotional repsonse to any music she's heard. It's not like she doesn't like it - she loves some tunes, enjoys them, but in a different way.
Now this has happened to me all my listening life, so I don't think I can pin it on playing with disco biscuits in the previous decade, and it got me thinking - what percentage of people have never had an emotional reponse to music, and why (or vice versa) ?
Opinions, please?

If you're wondering, listen to Faure's 'In Paradisum', Henry Mancini's 'Lujon', and Omni Trio's 'Soul of Darkness'. (classical choral, contemporary classical, and drum&bass respectively). If you don't shiver after one of those, you don't got it.

cheers

[froggequene]

I do understand what you're saying, I often have deep mental & emotional responses to music both classical & modern. One of my favourite albums can actually make me deliriously happy & calm, just knowing its in my Discman can have the same response. There are other pieces which have the opposite effect, I find some pieces like the Deftones Minerva quite distressing & I would actually have to leave the room if it was playing. I know other people who wouldn't have the same extreme reactions to music but would certainly enjoy a shiver down their spine.

[sft42]

I feel very privilaged as a gigging musician that I can evoke a response like this.....I remember once playing at a wedding reception and having the bride cry because we played her favourite song....that I was able to draw that response was amazing.....usually people cry when they here me sing for a different reason :>).......The 2nd movement in the winter passage in Vivaldi's Four Seasons always makes me shiver and I also like Faure's Pavane (very haunting melody).....right up to Crazy Horse's I don't wanna talk about it or Eva Cassidy's version of It really doesn't matter anymore.

[Robinia]

I'm definitely in the music sensitive camp, in fact I could probably tell my life story, complete with the emotion at the time, just by tunes & songs. I'm not much of a drinker & have never done drugs but I certainly get high on music. I know what you mean though that there are some who just don't 'feel it'. Have you ever noticed how, when there's music on in another room that you can hardly hear, it suddenly becomes audible when it's a song that you love?

[tarzan]

Couldn't agree more. My wife and children have no response whatsoever. Music can totally change me and I can forget all my troubles. Nimrod by Elgar Reach out I'll be there by the Four Tops Eleanor Rigby, Something and Long and winding road The Beatles Happy Xmas War Is Over John Lennon I'm still waiting Diana Ross I'm not in love 10cc All the above do it for me!!!!!! Others can depending on how I feel at the time. It is also strange how you associate music with events - well probably not that strange. When Diana was killed I was coming home from work and I heard Albatross by Fleetwood Mac and Almaz by Randy Crawford. I always associate those tracks with that event. The same is true with Find The River by Groove Armada which I now associate with 9/11.

[Greedyfly]

Yep Yep! I totally agree, music is a major part of my life mainly to do with my job but I can't get enough. And when I hear something fantastic it moves me - all kinds of feelings... happiness, anger, sadness, realisation... All kinds of things. And I know many people who don't feel anything but the vibrations the sound makes on there ear drums (hmmm...). I suppose im just lucky?!?

[beenee]

The same for me: tears, the works.

I will never forget the time I went to see the LA Philharmonica play the music from the Lord of the Rings movie at the Hollywood Bowl last year. It was in the open air with the place completely packed, but when the orchestra played, I remember the silence in the audience was so heavy with emotion that you could almost touch it. I found myself in tears, not because it was sad, but the emotion induced by the music was so overwhelming that tears were the only outlet for it. It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about that night.

[BadBob]

Yep, totally agree. Music is and can be a totally emotion rollercoster for me.

[Elle]

Will, I must say a big thankyou to you for introducing me to Omni Trio. I've just listened to a few of their tracks, including 'Soul of Darkness', but 'Shadowplay' gave me that elusive tingle that I only come across once in a while. I don't know how anyone can go through life without knowing that feeling. There are lots of others that provoke the same reaction - ''Past' Sub Sub, 'Finished Symphony' Hybrid, 'Cantus Iteratus' Karl Jenkins, 'Playground Love' Air, I could go on.... I find a lot of music can also take me to the other extreme, and have me leaving the room in rage, cursing. Still, I'm sure hearing some of the banal rubbish they play day in day out on the radio, only makes me appreciate the good stuff more.

[Will__]

No problem. Omni Trio's gotta be one of my favourites. It's actually just one guy, but he has a wife and kid so he called his stuff Omni Trio, Good name!
Glad you like it.