Something I notice e.g. walking by somewhere where a brass band is playing, or working out on an elliptical trainer in a venue where music is playing: I feel the need to make sure my stride is asynchronous with the music’s beat that I hear (because I’d consider being in step with it embarassing, for some reason). This takes up a lot of my attention, of course.
Anyone else also feel compelled to do this?
Just the opposite. If there’s music playing, I have to keep in step with it, unless it’s just way too fast or way too slow.
I don’t like being in step with it either and I’ll go to great lengths to avoid it. It does take up a lot of attention! I just feel like an idiot if I walk to the beat, although I don’t, like, think less of people who do. Strange.
Heh, I just can’t help even adjusting my walking speed and stride length so that my footfalls match the beat. If it’s slower than my usual walking pace, I take longer strides. If it’s a lot faster, I’ll speed up to the level of a fast march, at least until the music ends or, if I’m wearing dress shoes, my feet start killing me. This occasionally becomes a problem since I have a lot of lively Soviet marching tunes on my iPod. 
If the rhythm isn’t consistent, I get confused and might need to sit down for a while.
Heh, same. Minus the dress shoes. And Soviet marching tunes. Except maybe Hell March. And the sitting.
So, yeah, not the same at all. But same.
I will go with the beat for a while, leading with the left foot. Then I’ll lead with the right for a while. Then I’ll be asynchronous for a while.
I get bored easily.
If that ever happens, I just recall the end of the sequel to Saturday Night Fever (Staying Alivedirected by Sylvester Stallone), and that that’s exactly what I want to do.
So I start walking to the beat and pretending I’m John Travolta. Though I have no rhythm, so I might end up strutting asynchronously for a while. But dammit, I’m Staying Alive!
I deliberately walk asynchronously. I also feel oddly embarrassed by walking to an obvious beat. I also feel like if you visibly enjoy music that’s being played by a busker, you are required to give them some money; these may come from the same place, feeling obligated somehow.
I tend to synchronize with the music unconsciously, and I don’t make an effort to stop.
On the other hand, I can still remember when I first saw Star Wars on the big screen–I kept realizing that I was breathing in time with Darth Vader. Creepy. Needless to say, I had to force myself to breathe out of phase with him, but I think I missed a lot of the plot that way.
My fiancee mentioned something about this phenomenon one night, in bed. She didn’t seem to mind, though.
I like trance.
If I walk to the beat, then I might start nodding my head. Or twitching my shoulders. Or snapping my fingers. Best to concentrate on being asynchronous before I break into a full-scale Lindy hop or something. (Also, walking without rhythm won’t attract the worm.)
Not only do I walk to the beat, I do hand movements. And the occasional twirl.
So what if I look like a dork? People who know me think it’s funny, and people who don’t don’t matter.
I used to be in Air Cadets, in the band, where one is required to march to the music. Once I left cadets, walking with the beat came naturally to me, much to my dismay (I came to hate cadets toward the end, which is why I quit.) As a result, if I notice myself going in sync with the music, I will make a concious effort to de-sync.
S^G
Obligatory XKCD link: “Keeping Time”