Do you suffer from music anhedonia

Well I'm glad to have this explanation of music anhedonia. I quite like music, but can take it or leave it. Very few pieces move me, and then only the more dramatic and 'obvious' ones, like Tchaikovsky's. Every so often I try to understand the passion that other people obviously feel from classical music, but mostly I just don't get it.

It never crosses my mind to put music on, it never has. I liked music in Discos when I was young but have never bought a record or cd etc. My husband loves music but listens in his workshop. It just gets on my nerves if I am anywhere where music is playing above the lowest level to the point that I have to leave or ask to turn it down. On the other hand I love a talking book.

I think I would fall into the middle ground here - DH and I go through stages where we may spend an evening listening music which he has downloaded. Occasionally, like the other night we drifted into watching a couple of programmes about Roy Orbison. Now I cannot get Leah out of my head - LLeeeeeaaaahhhh, Lleeeeeaaaaahhhh!!

I have something different. All my life some music has made my far too emotional. As a child, songs like Puff The Magic Dragon, and On Top Of Old Smokey, I'm forever Blowing Bubbles, Edelweiss, just made me cry.
Of course my family found fun in surprising me with one of these. It was so bad even the sight of the record player being put on would start me off bawling.

Some songs get into my brain and I cannot sleep. Eg. Sailing to Philadelphia or Alexandra Leaving. I enjoy some music but have to take care even now and limit myself to songs that don't do that.

I'm another who needs my music fix, Went to London on Saturday for the amazing Prom concert. It was televised last night on BBC4 and I saw it all again, with close-ups.
So grateful that Radio 3 exists, even Through the Night.
Too much of Radio 4 has self-regarding people talking for the sake of it.

I listen to music just about every day. I don’t listen to popular artists though. I’m keen on modern jazz and prog rock.

I do love my music and have an eclectic taste, but not too loud and intrusive.

A recent Warner's holiday made me think that they must cater for the deaf!

When I was young and before I came to France my radio was always on, radios Luxembourg, London, Caroline and any other offshore one plus as a last resort, Radio 1. Back in the late 70’s the French government had a thing against foreign music, so very little was played on the music station, plus the fact they had to explain every bit of music, drove me mad. So I stopped listening to music and when I listen to it now, I feel wistful . So I don’t very often.

Music has been my life all my life. I can’t imagine life without it and my failing hearing doesn’t help. I now have very powerful hearing aids with a special music programme. I love listening to it in bed but have to remember to take my aids out before I go to sleep. I always have music in my head even when I am not playing it or listening to it. I can read a piece of sheet music without playing it and hear it in my head at pitch, too. Music can express the full range of emotions far more than words can. Far too many to choose from but a couple of examples from Mozart spring to mind. The finale from the clarinet concerto is full of joie de vivre but the second movement of his piano concerto number twenty is so painfully beautiful that it never fails to bring a lump to one’s throat.

When I chose my Monika years ago it was supposed to have been rocknroll4me and I hit the wrong button! I have no idea what inspired me. Though Great Balls of Fire is good. I could not go to sleep with music on I prefer dry conversation which might teach me something or I’ll just doze off . Music can wake me up. And I don’t like Sailing By. I find it creepy.

My mother in law didn't listen to music - or anything else actually. She switched the radio on for the Shipping Forecast and that was all (Why did she need the shipping forecast in Central London?) My father in Law liked music but was rarely allowed to listen to it because she couldn't stand "That Noise". We always had music on when I was a child but I don't listen to it as much as I used to. Anything will do for m, except Country and Western and quite a lot of post 1980 pop music.

Cannot live without my music! Have Planet Rock on all day unless I want to listen to a cd! Then it is likely to be Status Quo or one of my other Heavy Rock favourites! My Father was the music lover in our house. My Mother could, as she said, take it or leave it! If I am somewhere were there is no chance of music I can play an album in my head! Love my music & cant see me stopping now!

I couldn’t exist - wouldn’t want to - without music. I like Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Oscar Peterson, the Chieftains, swing music - all sorts really; but my first love is classical music, always has been from a small child. My father loved opera but wouldn’t listen to a symphony or anything purely orchestral, so we never had it on the radio if he was at home. I had to find my own way to it. I’m constantly discovering new pieces and new composers with Apple Music and Radio 3. When I finally gave up piano lessons my teacher said “Try and play a piece of Bach every day - it’s life enhancing.” And he was right, although if I can’t play one, I listen to one. Bach is my first love. He can make me dance around the kitchen one minute and have me in floods of tears the next!

It depends on the music. Some things that are called music are really rather horrible to listen to. Other things are heavenly.

So I can be badly emotionally affected by 'music' as well as emotionally affected by it in a good* way.

* what a pity I couldn't say "goodly affected". Well I could but....

AmberGran

^It’s all right. I’m not that bothered. Id never think to put music on. A bit like cottage cheese. Id eat it if you gave it to me.^

That's almost me - I do like music but I rarely think to put it on. I have absolutely zilch musicality so maybe that's why. Some music can reduce me to tears, partly from memories but also the piece itself.

Yep, I’m in this club too. Although when I do think to put music on, I really enjoy it. And I remember sitting at a concert in Bath Abbey with tears rolling down my cheek listening to A Lark Ascending. Not because it’s sad but because it’s so beautiful. I’d like it as the exit music at my funeral - I want everybody to think about me drifting gently upwards (at least I hope I’ll be going upwards 😂😂😂).
I do listen to music in the car though. I listen to lots of speech radio and podcasts but it does distract me when I’m driving, and I’m better off listening to music.

Allegri's Miserere - the most exquisite music ever written

This thread leads to a subsidiary question - which annoys you more, the words of a familiar hymn sung to the wrong tune or a well-loved hymn tune to which are being sung the wrong words ?

I know what my answer would be.

Elegran I have always liked Vaughan-Williams’ Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, and it was only when I heard it as one of the hymns at a funeral I attended that I realised it was a traditional hymn. When I hear it now, I want to sing the words.

I had never heard of music anhedonia until reading this thread. I can't imagine not having music in my life. When I was growing up, mum had Radio 2 on in the kitchen from morning until night and she had a lovely singing voice and dad loved his radiogram with jazz and classical music. I still love listening to the radio now. When my son was little we would have kitchen discos! My partner and I went to see Stevie Wonder in Manchester recently and it was a fabulous night, one I'll never forget.

Different songs remind me of people like Penny Arcade my dad learned the combination on the old slot machines, from a Jack to a king my stepmother used to love that song, yellow submarine my mum sang this with her children, counting stars - a person I know, etc

I don't think I could cope without music and often find myself replying to people with lyrics or hearing a name and singing a song in my head 🤣😂

I love music and singing. If any music is playing that’s where my attention goes, which is distracting when I’m having a conversation.
I get the shivers at some pieces of music that particularly move me. And I can’t listen to songs that were popular while I was feeling nauseous in pregnancy without feeling ill.

Hearing a Welsh male voice choir transports me to the Vale of Llangollen with my lovely family.

Yes same as above post above. Like classical jazz some of soft rock and pop 60s- 70s Motown .etc

kittylester

I really love songs, as opposed to music, as the lyrics are the most important part to me. But I am moved more by songs than poetry. Is there a name for that?

And, the words of love songs get to me more and more.

ITIKWYM, Kitty. There's a lyric in a Proclaimers song, Life with you, which really 'gets' me, moreso now,
' I can't conceive of the years left to me, without you in our home.'