Published on 12, July, 2020
Is it an autistic thing to have a hugely varied taste in music, or do our tastes just diversify more as we get older? My own taste in music is very varied from heavy metal through 80's and 90's music to Trance music. For me it's not so much about the genre of the music but whether or not I like a particular song or the music to that song. Personally I like quite upbeat songs as opposed to the slower tracks, regardless of what type of music it is. What is other people's experience? What do you listen to? Do you tend to only listen to one category of music or do you prefer variety?
Very broad taste and more, music 'saves' me sometimes...
I recently had the house to myself and pumped "Lean on" by Major Lazer through all the downstairs speakers - it felt like my chest & skull were being filled with helium, like (without wishing to be crude) a full-body orgasm...
If I feel shutdown/meltdown symptoms I have 'go to' tracks that I can use to 'dissolve myself'... if I can't get out for a run e.g.
Shape of You - Ed Sheeran (Major Lazer remix featuring Nyla & Kranium)
Feel it Still - Portugal the Man
Back in Black - AC/DC
Ante Up - M.O.P
There are also tracks I need to avoid unless I want to have a certain feeling - the following reduce me to tears every time and I have to make sure they don't pop up accidentally in a playlist:
Tea & Toast - Lucy Spraggan (just thinking about it I can feel my throat tightening & eyes prickling)
99 Red Balloons - Nena
Scar - Missy Higgins
The Tourist - Lucy Spraggan
These are 'known' culprits, but I can get caught out by other tracks (and even sometimes just a news story or something)
I do know what you mean about having certain tracks that are good for diversion. I have certain tracks that can divert my train of thought if I'm overthinking or getting very aggravated. I wonder if anyone else has good diversional songs that they listen to to get their mind out of a certain state?
I certainly experience that - where I struggle though is with that initial motivation to put the track on. If I'm anxious or depressed or ruminating, I sometimes find it hard to let go of that state and do anything to get me out of it.
It's not a big deal nowadays (thankfully) but I still get stuck. And when I do put the music on, I very quickly think "Why didn't I do this ages ago?"
I don't think I have specific songs, I tend to go for a playlist rather than a song - and my playlists are organised by artist apart from one I call "uplifting pop". The closest thing I've had to a specific song is "By your side" by Jonas Blue.
I really like how you have different playlists for different ‘therapeutic’ purposes Why didn’t I think of that? I may have to try it.
I use playlists on Spotify (other streaming music services are available) - if I play a track that I like I'll it and add to a playlist that it works for e.g. 'Shutdown stoppers' or 'Chillout' or 'Decompress' or whatever...
That way it's easy to just launch a playlist with minimal thought about choosing a track etc. Feel like I'm going into shutdown? "Alexa, play 'shutdown stoppers playlist' on Spotify..."
At work and too much sensory input? Put the headphones on and fire up 'Anti overload' or 'Distraction' playlist...
If I need to divert my mind then I get in my car and go for a drive with the music turned up high. I tend to listen to the same songs on the same CD for a few weeks at a time so choosing what to play isn’t usually an issue for me as I just play the same songs that I usually listen to on whatever CD is already in the car CD player. Do you have any ‘go to’ songs that you could automatically play when you need distracting?