Back to Sorcha's original post--people who are otherwise mentally not where the rest of us are [lucky bastards] actually seem to really feel music with a special intensity. We have a niece with some never-diagnosed developmental problem, and she has a very deep feel for music, as well as an uncanny ability to instantly be friends with even the most persnickety family dog or cat. For a few years in a row, my old group got to play at an annual fund-raiser for a special school, and the students and graduates were always our most ardent fans. Knowing that you are giving somebody something that they enjoy to that extent has to be a great stroke for a performer.

CC