Do you suffer from music anhedonia

Greyduster, I understand.

AN41 the piece that makes my raises the hairs on the back of my neck is Hubert Parry’s “I Was Glad”. Paul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Consort do the whole bag of mashings with orchestra, an enormous choir, trumpet fanfare and the lot. It’s truly magnificent. Just thinking about it now is having that effect.

Isobelw

I have something called aphantasia. I’ve only just discovered this. I don’t have any visual imagery. I lack a “minds eye” so can’t visualise. It doesn’t stop me loving reading. I understand many people see the story in their heads like a film. I don’t.
It estimated between 1-4% of the population have this. I’ve discovered my siblings and daughter have it too as there is a strong genetic link.

I think l must have this because I never see pictures in my head while reading, l only "hear" the words. It doesn't stop me from being critical of whether or not the correct actors have been chosen for the characters in TV/film adaptations of books.
@Jennerdysphoria, l, too, love the rhythm of poetry, especially when it rhymes. John Betjeman's poetry is wonderful but, possibly, my favourite poem of all is Adlestrop by Edward Thomas. I did A level English and it was all the hidden meanings that put me off as I could never be sure if they were true or not. Well, hidden meanings were probably 40% of the reason why I was put off and Henry James was the other 60%. I have often wished that English Language was available at A level in 1983 as it is now because it would have suited me much better.

Musicgirl

@Jennerdysphoria, The Swan is a beautiful, descriptive piece of music and, despite Saint-Saëns' reservations, has, rightly, stood the test of time. Your acquaintance was a musical snob, who obviously affected to despise a popular piece simply because it is popular. My view is that these popular pieces are so because they are so well-written that they we never tire of them, however many times we hear them. Classic FM understands this concept, which is why it attracts so many listeners. I have taught children and adults for over forty years and I often get people, especially teenagers and adults, to learn simplified versions of famous pieces. Very often, the title of the piece might not be recognised but, as soon as I play the opening, there will be cries of "oh, this was in such and such a tv programme/advert." I remember the first time I played a famous piece and the thrill it gave me and I really enjoy seeing the same pleasure with others.

Thank you for these points, Musicgirl. You allow me to articulate something similar about sensitivity to poetry. I love to 'hear' the sound patterning in poetry. Some people go overboard in finding meanings there that possibly the author never intended (though the unconscious is known to play a role). If the reader can support their interpretation with good argument, all well and good and will add to other readers' pleasure. This is one of the ways to get good grades in Literature.

I couldn’t live without music. Mostly classical, but I’m not averse to other genres at all.
The only music I don’t care for is the more modern type with no melody. When they play any of that on R3 I will usually give it a try, but will soon turn it off.

Like a pp, I love Sailing By! Very comforting, and to me it’s so evocative of the view of a boat, with the wake and water generally, sparkling in the sunshine.

I’m not often reduced to tears, though, except when it’s little kids singing Away In A Manger, or a recording of a niece’s beautiful soprano solo of Panis Angelicus with her school choir. We played that at my mother’s funeral.

I have something called aphantasia. I’ve only just discovered this. I don’t have any visual imagery. I lack a “minds eye” so can’t visualise. It doesn’t stop me loving reading. I understand many people see the story in their heads like a film. I don’t.
It estimated between 1-4% of the population have this. I’ve discovered my siblings and daughter have it too as there is a strong genetic link.

@Jennerdysphoria, The Swan is a beautiful, descriptive piece of music and, despite Saint-Saëns' reservations, has, rightly, stood the test of time. Your acquaintance was a musical snob, who obviously affected to despise a popular piece simply because it is popular. My view is that these popular pieces are so because they are so well-written that they we never tire of them, however many times we hear them. Classic FM understands this concept, which is why it attracts so many listeners. I have taught children and adults for over forty years and I often get people, especially teenagers and adults, to learn simplified versions of famous pieces. Very often, the title of the piece might not be recognised but, as soon as I play the opening, there will be cries of "oh, this was in such and such a tv programme/advert." I remember the first time I played a famous piece and the thrill it gave me and I really enjoy seeing the same pleasure with others.

My father told me that when I was a small child he stopped playing "Danny Boy" ( The Londonderry Air) on his violin because it always made me cry.

It still does! Nigel Kennedy. Most beautiful.

Has music ever made your scalp prickle? Mine did, literally, when I first heard Caruso on the "wireless". He was singing Vesti La Giubba, though I had heard of neither of them at that time.
I listen to Mario Lanza singing it now.

Colls

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.

This is interesting to me (about mid-scale on music anhedonia - ie take it or leave it now). I used to cry as a child if my mother sang to me, perhaps the emotion it aroused was too strong for me. I also get earworms if I listen more than a little to music, so that tends to put me off. On the other hand, I love the musicality of spoken words, as in 'word-painting' in poetry, onomatopaeia, and learning to speak foreign languages. I use radio and audio much more for spoken word than for music.

I was once much offended by someone who scorned me for liking Saint-Saens' The Swan. He said he was disappointed in me, because the piece lacks depth. Well it was not intended to have depth, it is just a charming melodious section of 'Carnival of the Animals', written for children. However I was myself disappointed later to learn that Saint-Saens himself did not wish the piece to be played in isolation, because he thought it would bring his reputation down.

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.'

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

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

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.

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 🤣😂

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 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.

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.

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.

Allegri's Miserere - the most exquisite music ever written

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.

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....

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!

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!

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.

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.