The physicality of music
“Virtually every culture and civilisation considers movement to be an integral part of music making and listening.” - Daniel Levitin
It’s not just a cultural paradigm, it’s a neurologic phenomenon!
Music activates our Motor Cortex - the part of the brain in charge of our conscious movements. Fast music will tell the motor cortex to make us move fast. Slow music will tell the motor cortex to make us move slowly.
It’s why we drive fast when we listen to fast music in the car!
It’s why we tap our toes in time to the music, rather than any other tempo.
It’s why our body moves in ways congruent to the music we are hearing - because our motor cortex is in charge.
The physicality of music is something we often overlook, but when we deny ourselves the toe taps, the spontaneous dance, the head nod, the hip and shoulder groove, the full body convulsions - whatever it is we are inclined to do… We are further denying our musicality (which is already so suppressed in this Western World) AND refusing to do as our brain tells us to do.
Which can often lead to - you guessed it - survival mode. Moving to music is synonymous with reclaiming our musicality, and respecting our body’s needs.
It’s not awkward. It’s not silly or childlike. It’s not embarrassing or disrespectful.
It’s music!
