Syncopation in Music

5min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

There is something about certain rhythmic qualities that make us want to move along to the beat. Syncopation, by definition, opens up gaps in the rhythm. And one thing that can fill those gaps is the movement of our body. We become untrained to this expected pattern and we can use our own bodies to kind of fill in those open spaces. The pleasure comes partly from the active participation in music. So now the music isn't just sound; it's an affective atmosphere with everyone getting into it together.

We hear a lot about “vibe” these days: Vibe check, a shift in the vibe, catching a vibe, don't kill the vibe. With the help of scholars and researchers Ellen Dissanayake, Connie Bainbridge, and Maria Witek we’ll define this feeling by drawing a fun, evolutionary line from the sweet sounds of baby talk and lullabies, all the way to adults vibing to the music they love. To put our findings to the test, musicians Phil Cook & Ally J help Saleem write a new lullaby, and DJ Zephyr Ann & DJ Rang demonstrate the power of experiencing “distributed emotion” through music.

Have feelings about the show? Let us know! Check out our listener survey: bit.ly/morethanafeelingsurvey

This is the last episode of the season but we’ll be back a little down the road. In the meantime, keep the vibe going by listening to our Spotify playlist, and follow & tweet us at @podfeelings with some suggestions to add to the list!

If you’ve got a question or story about an emotion you’re grappling with, send us a voice memo at morethanafeeling@tenpercent.com.

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/mtaf-podcast-episodes/vibe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.