Music Sometimes Hurts

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Yesterday I answered a bunch of questions via a forum thread as a way of introducing myself. One of the questions had to do with favorite music. This is what I shared:

"This is a tough one for me. I've always envied people who can listen to music and know the words to popular songs, but I've never been able to spend much time listening to any kind of music. I do love Pandora and have some stations I've created that I enjoy, but my ears are very sensitive and sadly this sensitivity extends to music."

You can find my complete response to the questions here:

Getting to know you . . .

So many people on the spectrum seem to really embrace music, but I've never been able to listen to music for extended periods of time. Usually I prefer peaceful quiet. There are definitely songs and music genres that speak to me, but rarely am I able to discern song lyrics from the music, and growing up I was almost never able to sing along to popular songs that everyone else seemed to love and know so well.

Am I alone in this? Doesn't this seem atypical for someone with Aspergers? Music seems like an escape and a world unto itself, which is why so many of us on the spectrum love it so much. But although I love my Frank Sinatra, Duran Duran, and U2 channels on Pandora, I've probably only ever purchased three Cds my entire life and can't listen to anything for very long.

What are your thoughts on this?

Carla

I listen to music the whole day. I'm very much obsessed with music. I can easily memorise the lyrics if I like a song and it can happen that I hear one song for weeks over and over again. I have very sensitive ears as well. Unexpected noises hurt me very much and if people talk too loud it also hurts my ears. But I can listen to very loud heavy metal when I'm alone. It's really that the walls of our house are vibrating then and it's like feeling the sound. There are songs available for every mood and feeling and sometimes it's easier to express yourself through music or lyrics than by words. I can't imagine a world without music.

I love all kinds of music, but at times I have a real problem discerning lyrics.

I listen to music from the time I get up until I go to sleep.

To quote myself from a past topic:

I got NLD, and I think some Aspie traits, like "obsessive" interests, so I don't know if I'm particularly relevant for this question.

I personally feel the need to listen to music almost at all times. Also, it might be one of my "obsessions" but I get obsessed by really "weird" music compared to others. Ie, I love the Japanese group Yellow Magic Orchestra, it's like my favorite group ever. I also love eurobeat, too, and at one point had downloaded Super Eurobeat albums 1-150. As far as buying it, like nobody buys music anymore, everyone just illegally downloads it, so you're probably a bit more noble listening to it on Pandora. One thing I'd reccomend, try not to concern yourself too much with what other people are doing, as far as music. The other thing, you could possibly try more like, relaxing sort of music, like jazz, classical, or some electronic music like trance or something. Like with me, I used to listen to rap, rock, etc, a lot more, now I almost never listen to them with the exceptions of some 80s rock. I just found out of all music, I like girly pop music most of all music. Sure, it's odd for a 20 year old heterosexual male to constantly listen to eurobeat and eurodance, but I like it, so yeah. You might eventually come to a similar point with your music tastes, just it'll require having an open mind enough to listen to lots and lots of different types and see.

(I had a big post here, but sorta misread the post, so yeah)

I always listen to music, 24/7, or else I freak. However, I can't listen to clarinet music. I played the clarinet for nine years and now listening to it makes me shiver and meltdown.

i cant listion to music from my mp3 for long it hurts my head even if i got the volume down to where i can just hear it i always ausumed it was just one of my aspie quirks

I am not obsessed with music as some people with ASDs on here are. I do not listen to it constantly, nor do I feel empty or otherwise agitated if I cannot listen to it. I do like some music though, and it doesn't all hurt my ears (ie. classical music is nice when I work at the symphony shows.) I like soft music (even if it is fast) and I love country music. I cannot tolerate loud music (not just volume wise, but also music like, say, heavy metal for example)--that, and low bass instruments hurt my ears very much, and I absolutely hate it!

I love to listen to music, however, there are exceptions.

Rap and Hip Hop literally make me ill. I have ended up with migraines and feeling sick to my stomach when I listen to it. The louder it is, the worse I feel. Some country music does it to me as well. I honestly think it is more of a rhythm thing than a sound thing.

But as for sound, my AS daughter plays the trumpet. I love to listen to it, but most of the time I have to have her play it on the other side of the house. It really hurts my ears unless she is a few rooms away or is using a straight mute. I think part of it may be the volume level, but honestly, I think there is a frequency in some of the harmonics that trumpet produces that just hurts. It is hard. I love listening to her, but sometimes I have to have her stop (this can be hard for her because her intense interest is the trumpet and it comforts her if she is feeling like she is going to melt down). Unless my head is hurting really badly, I usually just have her go into her room and shut the door. It is strange though. It only seems to be brass instruments that do this. Woodwinds and most percussion are fine.

I love video game music and have tons of it. My ears are indeed sensitive, yet I have a couple of Audacity-altered tracks that would probably make anyone's ears bleed.
Anyway...
There's a certain sound tone somewhat common in music that makes me feel uncomfortable in a huge way. I can't listen to it. No matter how soft it is, I curl up and cover my ears. I don't know if it's connected with a forgotten bad memory or what, but there's just something about that tone.

I was always a music fanatic but a the same way you are with movies.

I *can't* watch them.

I'm very auditory, I guess it comes down to that. I have a terrible time following the plot of movies.

Love television and books, though.

Thanks for all of these great replies. There does seem to be something about the music itself (the math behind individual genres or songs) that can be a trigger for problems. Right now I'm listening to my smooth jazz station on Pandora to block out the noise from where I work. (I'm on my lunch break.) It comforts me having another sound to overlay on the awful buzz and hyperactivity of a mall. Anyway, I'm grateful for all of the input. Most of the time I envelope myself in sheer quiet, but I do like some music. I just wish that I could feel more connected to my coworkers, who all seem to really embrace music. Last night they were all dancing and singing to popular songs. They knew every word. I was once again on my own island. I ended my work day feeling really disconnected and kind of sad. But this community lifts me up and helps remind me that I'm a different kind of normal and no less of a person because of it.

Cheers, everyone!

Carla

Hope this help. I use "quiet please" ear plugs with headphones. You can hear fine but it is slot easier on ears. My ears are in intense pain past 15 minutes. I would normal turn it down or off before my discovery. They also help me focus when there is to much going on.