What is it about groove that makes us want to move? And why does it feel so good? The pleasurable effect of music is rarely more apparent than in a dance club. The ways in which we synchronise our body movements to the pulsating rhythms of funk, hip-hop, and electronic dance music are perhaps the most overt expressions of music-induced hedonia.

It has been shown that listening to music activates brain areas involved in the regulation of biological rewards, such as food and sex. But what happens in the brain when we experience the pleasurable desire to move to music?

In this talk, Maria Witek will review what we know about musical reward and rhythm in the brain, and present a study of the relationship between body movement, pleasure, and groove. Since few can resist the urge to tap their feet, bop their heads or get up and dance when they listen to groove, these insights contribute to our understanding of the role of the body in music.