Music and HSP

I've come to the realization that as an highly sensitive person (HSP) and an empath, my experiences may not reflect the experiences of other people.  Consequently, my music experience may not be the same as that of other people.  I remember a study I heard about that concluded that 10% of the population cannot appreciate music like the rest.  We all process information differently.  We do not all appreciate the same things in the same degree.  We are different from one another.  I'm going to detail my experience.

It's not about casual listening.  If I wanted casual listening, I'd listen to elevator music. I'm not personally into that.  What it is about is drama.  I'm a sucker for a good drama.  Take for instance the Romeo and Juliet Ballet by Sergei Prokofiev.  Strength and a sense of establishment is portrayed.  Then there are times when its soft and light embracing every moment and gesture as when lovers first meet.  The contrast is astounding.  Or take the New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak.  The music invokes majestic views of the Rockies, the Plains, and the Coasts of the continental United States.  Strength and softness combine to incur happiness and peace of mind.

Sometimes a song with a story will get my attention and not let it go.  This has happened to me so many times I can't count.  A Day In The Life by the Beatles has done and still does this to me.  Its not just the music, but its also the words that keep my conscious on it.  Then it feels like a drug.  I get high off of the song.  This can last several hours if not a couple of days.  Other songs that do this to me are Ode To Billy Joe by Bobby Gentry, The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia by Vicki Lawrence, Drops of Jupiter by Train, and One Piece At A Time by Johnny Cash.  This is just a short list.  I can't express to you the joy of experiencing these songs for hours on end.  It doesn't seem that many people experience this music quite as I do.  Well, at least none that I've personally been around.

Music is very important to humans.  Its strange that just a mixture of sounds communicate deep deep emotion and life experiences.  I don't doubt that other highly sensitive people and empaths experience music and other entertainment in a deep way as I do.  Though we have our things that we enjoy, we must make room for others not to enjoy the same things and not as much either.  To me such experiences are just one of the benefits of being highly sensitive.