Stimming while listening to music.

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Just now I noticed I was rocking from side to side to the beat of the jazz tune I was listening to ("So What" by Miles Davis). Who else does this while listening to music?

People at Cliff Richard concerts?

Stimming and music go hand and hand for me. Just tapping along to music alone is pretty natural, but I've combined the two. My first realization of it was in high school, though I didn't know it was Aspie related, I did know it had nothing to do with music and more to do with anxiousness, boredom, etc. while in my drummer phase. I was constantly tapping and annoying teachers and students at inappropriate times, so for me, I didn't hand flap, it took the form of drumming and tapping. I still do it occassionally, but more often, it's foot tapping nowadays.

All this was in the late 80's, early 90's, I wonder if my musical tappings would have disguised my stimming from recognition from being recognized as an Asperger's trait.

Last edited by Spaceplayer on 01 Jan 2008, 10:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

When I really listen closely to music, I have to stim, but not my usual finger moving stimming. I have to pace and move around, or run. It's great for jogging or whatever because when I put on music I have to run to deal with all the overstimulation it causes.

I can't say that I stim during listening/watching intense music, but I can very well become overstimulated. TSO and any of their YouTube videos, really ramp me up!

now here is a reason i like children of bodoms mucik...i very easily stim whith it after wards i feel great

I don't really stim when listering to music. At least not physically. But what I often do is - when there's a male singer - imagine that I'm singing instead, in front of a huge crowd that is going crazy. But I guess that's not really stimming, it's more like daydreaming.

I actually run around in circles in my yard while listening to music.

Oh yes, I stim in choir too, particularly with music by Mozart(who may have been autistic himself). My choir director knows of my autism and doesn't get mad at me if I stim or move around a little during a choral concert because the movement actually helps me sing.

It's weird, I learn to sing more through muscle memory than sound. I can tell if I'm singing a wrong note because it won't "feel right".

I listen to music for the sole purpose of releasing stims.

My feet dance, my legs bounce, I tap my hands (I do this thing where I waggle my hand beating my thumb and little finger alternately on my thigh or knee) or drum them on things, I rock my body to and fro and side to side, and I emit noises sometimes.

I really like cajun and celtic music since it's not uncommon for the musicians to bark out a noise or words during an instrumental.
This way, at concerts, I feel less inhibited when I do so.
I've never known why I yelled out during songs before.
Now, from being here, I see it as a stim.
I do pity the poor people around me at concerts and I do try to make an effort not to disrupt their enjoyment of the shows... but the more I try to hold things in... the greater the eruption when I finally cave and let it come out.

Since coming here to WP I have decided to let myself go with these sorts of things, in more public places than before.
I'm happier now because of it.
When I'm at a cafe, I can put on my headphones/iPod and play my current loop and just let myself rock away and not be so self-conscious or ashamed.
It feels so good to be so free!

Oh...yes... I do stim to music!

If it's music I like, just listening to it seems like it's a stim.
I can function so much better if there is some good music in the background.

Actualy, the louder the better I function

But it might also be related to my ADD, having need of an external beat to get anything done.

ABSOLUTELY!

I learned that if I put on headphones and play heavy rock or metal, it seems to occupy some part of my brain so the rest of my brain can concentrate on the important stuff.
If it weren't for the music, I'd be interrupted by EVERYTHING around me!

I listen to just about every genre of music out there and I can stim to pretty much all of it I think... haven't paid too much attention to it all.

I used to dance and jump around the house years ago when no one else was around and I had music playing.

I bob my head to music if that counts. That is considered normal though...

I've been thinking about this for quite a while. I find myself "acting out" my music quite often. Very intricately, too, and it's extremely satisfying for me, and my world feels like it's ending if I skip a beat or someone changes the song or something. I tap my fingers a lot, move my leg, very very often I even grind my teeth to the beat. Sounds weird to see that written down, now. But I always do it. Hope no one notices my jaw moving to the beat, that would be kinda weird

Actually, if you watch musicians... especially ones who are staionary and sometimes seated like classical guitar players... you'll see them make the strangest faces while they play.
I see it quite often, although I wouldn't say every musician does it.

You can just tell folks you have this gifted musical ability within and you express it through you jaw.

Ooh ooh! I just thought of something... a name!

You can tell folks you have MandibularSensoryStereophonicStims!
That should confuse them enough to leave you alone!