Too Much Rhythm?

I noticed something interesting today as I was teaching a new student who claimed he has no rhythm. He backed up his statement by giving me a short demonstration of what he can do. What I said to him afterwards surprised us both. (It surprised me as it was the first time I came to such an unexpected conclusion when watching someone dance). I told him that little or no rhythm was not at all his issue. He had TOO MUCH rhythm. That’s exactly what it looked like. He was trying to dance on everything he was hearing in that song: primary percussion, secondary, bass, vocals…you name it – he was on it. The problem with it was that it was lacking harmony; it was all over the place.

Why not choosing one layer and sticking to it? That way, what you want to express is clear and you’re not risking being called a crazy looking individual. Sometimes less is more…