Specific musical anhedonia

[Jelke]

Hi Guys!

So let me first tell you something about myself: I'm 15 years old and live in the Netherlands (wow!). I've played the piano for 7 years but I recently stopped playing because I didn't really had fun in doing it for the last 3 years.

A few days ago my biology teacher (who is a super rock fan) talked about the brain and the recent discovery of 'specific musical anhedonia'. She said that some people don't feel any joy or emotions in and while listening to music. The whole class was just absolutely shocked and I was like: well who does!?

The whole class was just speechless about it, they were all laughing about me and stuff, like I was joking! But seriously guys: I DON'T FEEL EMOTIONS OR PHYSICAL REACTIONS WHILE LISTINING TO MUSIC. It's not like I'm a hater or something, I like the artists for their looks and enthousiasm, but i'm completely neutral if I hear a song.

After doing some research on the internet I found out that 1 to 5% of the world's population has specific musical anhedonia. There are some other 'syndroms' related to music, but those people can't feel music because they can't distinguish certain tones and pitches. Other syndroms relate to 'the lack of sociality and depressions. But I don't have those things! I like food, I love, other people, I've got lots and lots of good friends, I'm interested in money and I'm one of the happiest persons on the world!

So why am I sharing this with music lovers?? (Now that I am thinking about it; what a dumbass am I....) I just discovered that people can feel emotions while listening to music... I can't really comprehend it yet... I am kinda sad that I probably miss so much good feelings that you guys have...

I wanted to let you know that I think all people are awesome as they are. I want to let all the 'normal' people know that people who aren't feeling emotions for music are not depressive people, are no haters, are no stupid jerks who are pissing of other people. The reaction of my classmates in the biology class was probably the most shocking for me... After 15 years of listening music I never thought why people where really doing it...

I hope you guys understand me... sorry for the bad english
best regards
A boy with specific musical anhedonia

[Trollheart]

Personally I never heard such rubbish. Music ALWAYS makes me feel a certain way --- sad, tired, relaxed, happy, upbeat, downbeat, angry, bored .... why would it not? If music doesn't affect you emotionally I think you're missing out a huge part of the reason why we listen to it.

And why it means so much in the lives of so many, including me.

[zombie kid]

Welcome. I hope that maybe you can gain some insight on how or why most people enjoy music. People here like to talk about how songs or albums make them feel so I hope you get something out of reading music related posts here.

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Personally I never heard such rubbish. Music ALWAYS makes me feel a certain way --- sad, tired, relaxed, happy, upbeat, downbeat, angry, bored .... why would it not? If music doesn't affect you emotionally I think you're missing out a huge part of the reason why we listen to it.

And why it means so much in the lives of so many, including me.

It's absolutely not rubbish and I can't believe that anyone would state that so boldly as you did there. Everybody's brain is different, they all work differently. There are areas of the brain devoted to emotional interpretation of sounds, and while it functions in most people, those brain centres might not function in other people. Just because you say some music makes you feel something doesn't mean that another person is going to feel the same way about it.

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by zombie kid

It's absolutely not rubbish and I can't believe that anyone would state that so boldly as you did there. Everybody's brain is different, they all work differently. There are areas of the brain devoted to emotional interpretation of sounds, and while it functions in most people, those brain centres might not function in other people. Just because you say some music makes you feel something doesn't mean that another person is going to feel the same way about it.

Here we go again. I said it because of THIS which was in his first few sentences:

The whole class was just absolutely shocked and I was like: well who does!?

The whole class was just speechless about it, they were all laughing about me and stuff, like I was joking! But seriously guys: I DON'T FEEL EMOTIONS OR PHYSICAL REACTIONS WHILE LISTINING TO MUSIC.

So he was saying "How could anyone even think that you would be emotionally moved by music?" It's one absolute fighting another. If he had said, well I understand not everyone is moved but that's not what he said. He made out as if it was the most stupid suggestion anyone could make, as if it never happened.

Therefore his statement is rubbish. QED.

EDIT: Actually, now that I read it through I realise I took that up wrong. He said HE thought this and everyone else thought he was mad. Um. Apologies. Helps to read things through a few times, also not at 3AM....

[Neapolitan]

I think Specific musical anhedonia is interesting. I never heard of it before. I did meet one or two people irl that said they never listen to music. Not knowing what it was called I thought of it as music apathy. Which I thought but peculiar but fascinating that someone can go without music. I also thought it would free up so much time if they did listen to music for hours on end.

I meet people who have very narrow musical taste which is also interesting. Sometime I think it is better to know really well one genre than be a jack of all trades and a little bit of every other genre. Sometimes I wonder if a person can have musical anhedonia for everything but their favorite genre.

I don't know how much a music fan I am, because there is a lot of music out there that I just don't like at all. If I add up all the likes & dislikes I think I would end up percentage-wise being more of person who dislike music. But then again If I like something I really, really like it.

[Black Francis]

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

I meet people who have very narrow musical taste which is also interesting. Sometime I think it is better to know really well one genre than be a jack of all trades and a little bit of every other genre. Sometimes I wonder if a person can have musical anhedonia for everything but their favorite genre.

I don't know how much a music fan I am, because there is a lot of music out there that I just don't like at all. If I add up all the likes & dislikes I think I would end up percentage-wise being more of person who dislike music. But then again If I like something I really, really like it.

Im a jack of all trades but a master of none. lol

All i know are alternative bands from the late 80's and early 90's, that's what i specialise in cause those are my preferences, i either tend not to like music outside of that or don't know it but i wouldn't call this M.A i think those are just my preferences.

I actually been trying lately to get out of my comfort zone and try new stuff

[Black Francis]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Personally I never heard such rubbish. Music ALWAYS makes me feel a certain way --- sad, tired, relaxed, happy, upbeat, downbeat, angry, bored .... why would it not? If music doesn't affect you emotionally I think you're missing out a huge part of the reason why we listen to it.

And why it means so much in the lives of so many, including me.

We were recently discussing this in that "Some people don't really like music" thread.

The thing is, it's not a very common thing, it's like hemaphrodites you've never met one but they exist. lol

[Goofle]

http://www.musicbanter.com/general-m...ike-music.html

[DriveYourCarDownToTheSea]

Originally Posted by Goofle11

http://www.musicbanter.com/general-m...ike-music.html

Yeah, we covered a good deal of ground there.

I, personally, didn't know there were some people who didn't like music before I read that. But given the various other likes and dislikes I've seen in people over the years, I wasn't too surprised.

The best way for me to describe it, to someone who doesn't understand, is that music is to the ears not unlike art is to the eyes. Or, perhaps you're moved by poetry, or fiction. Have you ever read a book that made you cry, or angry, or sad? Well, for us musical people, music has the same effect on us. Our brains are moved by differences in sound the same way art moves some people's emotions, the only difference is that it's an aural stimulation instead of a visual one.

For me and a lot of other people, music moves and effects us more than any other art form.

EDIT: Another analogy would be a movie. I presume you go to a movie occasionally and are frightened, amused, brought to tears, left in suspense, etc., depending on the movie? Well if so, you understand how we respond to music. The way the action unfolds in a movie and stirs our emotions is similar to the way the sounds in a song unfold and stir music-lover's emotions.

[Jelke]

Yeah, I like to read a good emotional book and there are a few movies I really cried about. On some informative sites people say that's indeed a part of our brain that relates audio with emotion (an old instinct of us). My brain probably isn't making this connection.

I've read some topics on the forum and I was trying to listen to some songs people mentioned, I didn't really got touched by any of the songs with different genres.

Thnx for the nice responses