Demographic Influence On Musical Preferences
Reana Brethen
What impact does socioeconomics and geographic exposure have on musical preference?
Music is derived from person’s roots and their history of said parties. Music evolves at the same fast paced rate as society and is typically influenced from previous genres. Music in specific geographical locations and socioeconomic environments are mostly created based on surrounding issues and hardships that face the parties involved. Many factors effect what musical preferences people enjoy such as ethnicity, background, the areas they reside within and basic income.
There is a wide variety in types of music in different geographical locations. For instance, African music has had a long journey. The beat of the music that tribes created travelled with the Africans when sailing over to America. Eventually, reggae evolved in the Caribbean. In later years, African Americans started singing revolutionized versions of their previous music (Bebey 83). Using the beats of their ancestors, they eventually created gospel, blues, jazz, and etcetera. Even these genres would later branch off and evolve into more contemporary genres such as hip hop and rock n’ roll. (Bebey)
Other cultures also have their own music which have …show more content…
also evolved through time. The change seen in music can be attributed to the surrounding influences based on the creator’s musical preferences mixed with the influences of their socioeconomics environment as well as their geographical location.
An individual growing up in a home with no support of a guardian and they must learn to be independent and they use music as an outlet due to the lack of no one to confide in.
On the other hand, an individual who grows up in a stable home where they receive attention and may learn to be independent over time may use music to express themselves rather than the individual who uses music as an outlet. These two examples are composed of completely different surroundings of how music preference can be formed. From these two types of examples, one may develop an idea of which social class those persons may reside in. In the United States, people have created stereotypes for the social classes which exist within the
country.
In the United States, there are three major social classes: lower, middle and upper. The lower class has little education and the individuals live in poverty. Many associate this class to listen to rap, heavy metal and country. Whether it is a viable part in what musical genres people are involved with, they listen to music and the lyrics which express what their feelings are towards life. A stereo-type for people who work in the lower class are listening to various genres that express the anger that can be created through poor living conditions and unrewarding hard work. Rap and metal are two genres that are known to portray anger well. Some African American neighborhoods, that are considered the government’s property, have more rap music than any other area. Another example resides within the prominent whites who live in trailer parks. For these low income workers, they are considered to listen to heavy metal or country (Emmison 217). The music can be used as an escape from life and can radically change the mood of an individual. Music is also easily accessible and can be created with no basic formula. Music can be shaped and changed at ones will. Compositions of music can also be used to temporarily escape negative situations and channel energy and emotions. Whether that just be a part of their culture or whether it be something to do with their low income and their moods. This is one reason it is believed that some of the most talented musicians have troubled backgrounds. (Emmison)
The middle class is considered to be eclectic. They listen to all types of music which includes rap, punk, country, electronic, pop, gospel, hip hop, blues, jazz, indie-rock, dubstep etcetera (Borthwick 156). This may be due primarily to the fact that the middle class encompasses the largest percentage of the American population. Middle class people generally are happy since they receive some rewarding attributes in their lives while the lower class usually receives none. The middle class is more likely to reside in the urban and suburban areas of North America. Another reason this is that the middle class may spend their money in different ways than the other social classes. They may spend more towards items such as expensive cars and other items instead of living conditions. For this reason, some in the middle class may still live in lower class conditions and thus they will primarily listen to music associated with that of the lower class. This can be seen in a very specific study created by Adrian North and David Hargreaves. Part of the study was to include the way people spent their money. It indicates that within the middle class, those that spent their money more responsibly listened to similar music to that of the upper class. This group of people is distinguished from the “less responsible” group primarily based on how they regularly paid off credit card bills each month. They were generally interested in opera, musicals and classical music. The group that did not pay bills and credit cards off on time as frequently associated more with the music of the lower class. Their preferred genres were DJ based music as well as hip hop and rap (North 481-483). These findings state that although money may affect musical preferences, the lifestyle led by the people within each group has one immense effect upon their preferences as well. (Borthwick) (North)
As for the upper class, they are considered to listen to sophisticated music such as classical, musicals and operettas. During the eighteenth century, the aristocrats or the upper class, would attend the well known Mozart and Beethoven symphonies (Emmison 219). Unlike the lower class or middle class that live with less money, the upper class have either had their money handed to them from family members or have earned their money through a high college degree. (Emmison)
In the U.S.A., many people set stereotypes of musical preference with their social class. For example, lower income listen to rap, heavy metal or country, middle class people are eclectic and enjoy many types of music and the upper class enjoys musicals, operas, and classical music. These assumptions can be based off race. However, a study was conducted and stated that income is rarely associated with music preference. The study slims the stereotypes wrong. Yet it does not mean that most people in these classes do not listen to the types of music people associate them with such as blue grass, country, and hymns/gospel, parade, and rap/hip hop are all genres associated with the lower and middle class. (Mizell)
Many people believed in the set and stone stereotypes of musical preferences and how they relate to social classes. However, in the study above, those stereotypes were slimmed down. Emmison stated that education was more influential than just the original stereotypes that individuals have created. “Manual workers and professionals may not like the same types of music…more highbrow in the case of professionals, more lowbrow in the case of workers” (Emmison 214).
In North’s study, the relationship between employment status and music preferences was also studied. Here, the relationship between music preference and age can be indirectly linked and explained. People that enjoy rock, jazz, and pop were found to likely be employed. People that prefer the genres of opera, country, and classical music were mostly likely retired. People that enjoy DJ based music, hip hop and rap, and dance music were mostly all involved in some form of full-time education. Although the study here was made related to employment status, an obvious correlation can be noticed based on age. People who are employed fall mostly within the middle aged bracket and listen to music created within their time. Retired individuals tended to listen to older versions of music. The retired group is primarily composed of older individuals. The people within the category of full-time education can also be compared with age, as people within this group are obviously primarily young. They listen to genres of music that are generally prominent among today’s society, as well as music that has been created and that has thrived within a period of the last ten years, namely dubstep, rap, and house music. (North) (Rentfrow)
A large scale study by a group called Signal Patterns notes many significant connections between the way people learn and their personalities, linking these to their preferences of music. It states that the way people describe themselves can usually be linked to certain music. One example is that people who have good social skills and like to use them listen to fast paced, loud music laced with heavy amounts of percussion. Subsequently, people that describe themselves as reserved and honest listen to slow paced music that is not as aggressive. People that fall into the category of intellectuals are found to listen to music that can inspire them and that may portray more complex themes and emotions than other music genres.
As stated earlier, rap and heavy metal are considered to portray anger well. Since the lower class experiences harsh living conditions and hard work, they are typically more prone to be angry. Listening to genres such as classical music or opera may relate to a more relaxed state of mind. People that are well past being financially stable have noticeably reduced stress levels due to them not having to constantly worry about living conditions and the ability to feed and take care of themselves along with their families. Mood plays such a large roll in music preference because it can elevate moods as well as channel anxiety and stress through a viable outlet.
A study was conducted by a scientist, famous hacker, and graduate of the University of Alabama named Virgil Griffith. Within this study, a direct correlation can be seen between genres of music that the participating students listened to and said students SAT scores. While most alternative and rock music can be found spread all through the spectrum, certain genres stand out on either side. Rap and country is found to be associated with lower SAT scores while music such as Beethoven is enjoyed by people that score very high. It should be noted that these are correlations and not causations.
Other studies, such as one by North, also support these claims. People with higher educational values tended to lean towards the classical genres of music while those that were not as educationally savvy enjoy music created by DJ’s and other genres such as country music. One odd result showed that those that attend fee paying schools preferred not only opera music, but hip hop and rap as well. Those that attend state schools, on the other hand, preferred country, pop, and musicals. People that excelled in their educational status (such as people that received PhD’s and master’s degrees) listened to jazz, opera, blues, and classical music (Emmison 214). This study may suggest that the educational status of individuals may not be a huge contributor to what drives people to listen to certain music genres. Instead, this theory states that what people listen to based on education may be a direct correlation with age. (Emmison)
In a study created by North and Heaver, it is noted that people prefer others with similar musical tastes rather than those that had different tastes. This factor may contribute to why certain groups and stereotypes can be associated with specific groups. (North)
Geography has a cultural impact on the way music is listened to and how it is perceived. In the United States, certain stereo-types are associated with where an individual’s may inhabit. People that live in an area associated with the creation or utilization of certain music genres generally tend to listen to their native brands of music. The South is known for country, rock n’ roll, gospel and rap; the Northeast is known for its classical music, operas, indie-music and electronic/club music; the West is well-known for rap, alternative, punk, and pop; and the Mid-West for its jazz. For the genre rap, there has always been a battle between “east coast and west coast rap”. Atlanta became one of the first cities that created a new genre of rap; Dirty South. (Gross) (LeBlanc)
Dirty South was a new creation of the genre rap by the African Americans who felt that that Dirty South was a “bold statement from rappers who felt estranged from Atlanta's economic and social progress and excluded by their ‘southernness’ from competing in a rap-music market dominated by New York and Los Angeles” (Grem 59). One of the first groups to emerge from this genre was known as OutKast. Looked down upon by many fans, they strived to become number one. In the year of 2004, they won the Grammy Music Award and had millions of fans supporting them. OutKast influenced Dirty South because in the year of 2000, rappers from the South preferred the new genre Dirty South. This new rap was a blend of older African American music such as gospel, the blues and rock n’roll. One artist stated “ ‘We cut words off. We're lazy with our tongue. We really don't care about your diction.... So, you know, you're going to have to rewind it a few times’ ” (Grem 60). By 2000, southern rap artists preferred promoting this while critiques thought it was a new style of hip-hop. Living in an area such as Atlanta where a new music is evolved will lead to the popularity of it, allowing the people there listen to it and influence it on everyone around them, especially the South. (Grem)
Children grow up listening to their parent’s music and then create their own music preference in later life. A child will be more prone to like their parent’s music if their parent’s play it often for them. A study conducted by some researchers wanted to see if it would matter if the child had nurturing parents or non-nurturing parents. The researchers presented a survey to college students and asked about their parents’ musical preference. Then the college students were asked whether they would consider their parents loving and caring or consider their parents uncaring and not showing much attention to them. Then they were asked to score their parents favorite artist’s when listening to a soundtrack from that artist. It was found that college students who had loving parents were prone to favor their parent’s favorite artists more than those who had uncaring, distant parents. (DeBono)
Memories are vital to one’s life. These memories make up who we are and how we go about our everyday lives. Memories are created every second of every day. When one listens to a song such as “Motorcycle Drive-By” by Third Eye Blind, it could bring up a past memory such as that individual’s mother. Songs can even bring up bad memories that an individual may want to forget or great memories they will want to cherish forever (Levitin 204). That memory will change that person’s music taste just because of a song that reminds them of a bad memory. The same goes with friends and using drugs. The mind goes under a new state of consciousness and may create new music choices. (Levitin) (Panda)
Drug use can also affect one’s musical preference. Marijuana users may listen to music that stimulates their mind while under the influence of the substance. Genres such as indie rock and reggae may coincide with the laidback mood and feeling generated by THC. With other hallucinogen based drugs such as acid or mushrooms, users typically tend to listen to more stimulating genres such as fast paced techno and its subgenres. These can aid the mind in creating hallucinations and make the trips more intense. One reason these types of music may be preferred by the listener is that often times the music is created either while under the influence of said drugs or for its users. A study was conducted on why more teens are using drugs in 1996. The results showed that friends who were under the influence influenced not only the marijuana drug upon their friends but also influenced the music that they listened to (Haywood 14). The study proves that individuals from the age group of thirteen to their early twenties used THC to create a new music preference based off their experience with the drug. Most of the teens were under their peer’s pressure to use the drug which is why their music might have changed (Gross 60). Now more teens that were influenced by the drug, in all social groups and geographic regions, use this drug to create a similar music taste. (Gross) (Haywood) (New Findings)
In 1941, a prominent sociologist named Adorno created a thesis that states that the reason for different types of genres of music are directed results of pre-existing social hierarchies and structures (North 476). Another study created in 1984 by Bourdieu recognizes that some music (as well as performances) may be easily accessible by some groups rather than others. It states that art pieces that may be sponsored or endorsed are more likely to be associated with the upper classes. An example of this is museum art as compared to non legit art. Since the upper class has the resources and means to be able to afford entry into museums, they are more likely to gain an appreciation for said pieces. An inverse relationship of appreciation can be seen here, as the lower classes are more likely to enjoy low brow art created for mass consumption for which they have the means to access. The same can be said for musical preference. Upper classes can easily afford to attended operas and symphonies while lower classes tend to associate with the other genres that do not require large financial profit. (North)
Natasha Panda, an expert in the field of music and psychology, believes that living in a certain geographic location of a place will play a part in music preference. However, the region of the area may have different musical tunes such as Alton Park and Soddy Daisy. These two both reside in Chattanooga but what is heard in Alton Park is completely different from what is heard in Soddy Daisy and vice versa. Two different types of music preferences exist within one region. Panda also believes that “stereotypes of musical preference have been associated with socioeconomic classes in the United States before but that is now starting to change”. Not only does the geographic and social class determine one’s musical taste, parents also have a big impact as well. When asked “Do you think listening to music when growing up will affect one’s music choice?” Panda replied “Absolutely.” She strongly agrees that parents influence a child’s music taste because children like to mimic their parents to achieve their approval. Another question asked was “What do you think about the conclusion of a higher education leads to more high art music choice?” Panda did not think that higher education would lead to high art music nor did she believe that lower education would lead to low art music choice like Emmison did. She believes higher education leads to high art music and different music taste than those with a lower education. Panda also believes that drugs influence music preference. Drugs “alter the state of consciousness” which will lead to different music taste when under the influence. Music is a part of everyday life, whether an individual enjoys it or not. (Panda)
Music is derived from many cultures of the world. Beats and tunes are heard every where whether it is in a car playing on the radio, the internet, concerts, elevators, symphonies, word by mouth and so on. Music adapts quickly, from region to region. The tunes and lyrics are enjoyed by many and may impact lives. Music evolves at the same pace as society. As people and their lives change, music also evolves and is altered. The lives people lead affect their music preferences. The music peoples’ parents listen to as the person grows up plays a huge factor in what music preference the person has. As they grow up, peer influences and the radio play their part as well. The people they associate with contribute to their taste. As they age even more, many factors all come together simultaneously to craft all new genre preferences. These factors include all kinds of things such as if the person in question participates in the use of narcotics or other mind altering substances, what geographic location they reside within or spend most of their time in, the type of music that dominates their region, and even which social classes the individual is a part of. Social status and age seem to be the largest determinates of how to associate a certain individual with a specific genre or group of genres. This is based mostly on how easily accessible certain types of music may be. Those in the upper class are more likely to be exposed to genres such as opera and classical genres due to their ability to be able to spend money on attending its performance. The lower classes listen to the types of music that are prevalent on radio stations and may thrive within their area. The middle classes are the most difficult to associate with any brand of music because they are mostly eclectic and enjoy such a broad array of musical genres and artists. People of all ages have grown up listening to different types of music. In the contemporary era, most teens listen to rap, hip hop and other popular music while the people from the seventies will most likely listen to bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Grand Funk Railroad. Music is derived from different backgrounds of several cultures around the world. Music preferences are based off one’s social class and geographic location.
What impact does socioeconomics and geographic exposure have on musical preference?
Music is derived from person’s roots and their history of said parties. Music evolves at the same fast paced rate as society and is typically influenced from previous genres. Music in specific geographical locations and socioeconomic environments are mostly created based on surrounding issues and hardships that face the parties involved. Many factors effect what musical preferences people enjoy such as ethnicity, background, the areas they reside within and basic income.
There is a wide variety in types of music in different geographical locations. For instance, African music has had a long journey. The beat of the music that tribes created travelled with the Africans when sailing over to America. Eventually, reggae evolved in the Caribbean. In later years, African Americans started singing revolutionized versions of their previous music (Bebey 83). Using the beats of their ancestors, they eventually created gospel, blues, jazz, and etcetera. Even these genres would later branch off and evolve into more contemporary genres such as hip hop and rock n’ roll. (Bebey)
Other cultures also have their own music which have …show more content…
also evolved through time. The change seen in music can be attributed to the surrounding influences based on the creator’s musical preferences mixed with the influences of their socioeconomics environment as well as their geographical location.
An individual growing up in a home with no support of a guardian and they must learn to be independent and they use music as an outlet due to the lack of no one to confide in.
On the other hand, an individual who grows up in a stable home where they receive attention and may learn to be independent over time may use music to express themselves rather than the individual who uses music as an outlet. These two examples are composed of completely different surroundings of how music preference can be formed. From these two types of examples, one may develop an idea of which social class those persons may reside in. In the United States, people have created stereotypes for the social classes which exist within the
country.
In the United States, there are three major social classes: lower, middle and upper. The lower class has little education and the individuals live in poverty. Many associate this class to listen to rap, heavy metal and country. Whether it is a viable part in what musical genres people are involved with, they listen to music and the lyrics which express what their feelings are towards life. A stereo-type for people who work in the lower class are listening to various genres that express the anger that can be created through poor living conditions and unrewarding hard work. Rap and metal are two genres that are known to portray anger well. Some African American neighborhoods, that are considered the government’s property, have more rap music than any other area. Another example resides within the prominent whites who live in trailer parks. For these low income workers, they are considered to listen to heavy metal or country (Emmison 217). The music can be used as an escape from life and can radically change the mood of an individual. Music is also easily accessible and can be created with no basic formula. Music can be shaped and changed at ones will. Compositions of music can also be used to temporarily escape negative situations and channel energy and emotions. Whether that just be a part of their culture or whether it be something to do with their low income and their moods. This is one reason it is believed that some of the most talented musicians have troubled backgrounds. (Emmison)
The middle class is considered to be eclectic. They listen to all types of music which includes rap, punk, country, electronic, pop, gospel, hip hop, blues, jazz, indie-rock, dubstep etcetera (Borthwick 156). This may be due primarily to the fact that the middle class encompasses the largest percentage of the American population. Middle class people generally are happy since they receive some rewarding attributes in their lives while the lower class usually receives none. The middle class is more likely to reside in the urban and suburban areas of North America. Another reason this is that the middle class may spend their money in different ways than the other social classes. They may spend more towards items such as expensive cars and other items instead of living conditions. For this reason, some in the middle class may still live in lower class conditions and thus they will primarily listen to music associated with that of the lower class. This can be seen in a very specific study created by Adrian North and David Hargreaves. Part of the study was to include the way people spent their money. It indicates that within the middle class, those that spent their money more responsibly listened to similar music to that of the upper class. This group of people is distinguished from the “less responsible” group primarily based on how they regularly paid off credit card bills each month. They were generally interested in opera, musicals and classical music. The group that did not pay bills and credit cards off on time as frequently associated more with the music of the lower class. Their preferred genres were DJ based music as well as hip hop and rap (North 481-483). These findings state that although money may affect musical preferences, the lifestyle led by the people within each group has one immense effect upon their preferences as well. (Borthwick) (North)
As for the upper class, they are considered to listen to sophisticated music such as classical, musicals and operettas. During the eighteenth century, the aristocrats or the upper class, would attend the well known Mozart and Beethoven symphonies (Emmison 219). Unlike the lower class or middle class that live with less money, the upper class have either had their money handed to them from family members or have earned their money through a high college degree. (Emmison)
In the U.S.A., many people set stereotypes of musical preference with their social class. For example, lower income listen to rap, heavy metal or country, middle class people are eclectic and enjoy many types of music and the upper class enjoys musicals, operas, and classical music. These assumptions can be based off race. However, a study was conducted and stated that income is rarely associated with music preference. The study slims the stereotypes wrong. Yet it does not mean that most people in these classes do not listen to the types of music people associate them with such as blue grass, country, and hymns/gospel, parade, and rap/hip hop are all genres associated with the lower and middle class. (Mizell)
Many people believed in the set and stone stereotypes of musical preferences and how they relate to social classes. However, in the study above, those stereotypes were slimmed down. Emmison stated that education was more influential than just the original stereotypes that individuals have created. “Manual workers and professionals may not like the same types of music…more highbrow in the case of professionals, more lowbrow in the case of workers” (Emmison 214).
In North’s study, the relationship between employment status and music preferences was also studied. Here, the relationship between music preference and age can be indirectly linked and explained. People that enjoy rock, jazz, and pop were found to likely be employed. People that prefer the genres of opera, country, and classical music were mostly likely retired. People that enjoy DJ based music, hip hop and rap, and dance music were mostly all involved in some form of full-time education. Although the study here was made related to employment status, an obvious correlation can be noticed based on age. People who are employed fall mostly within the middle aged bracket and listen to music created within their time. Retired individuals tended to listen to older versions of music. The retired group is primarily composed of older individuals. The people within the category of full-time education can also be compared with age, as people within this group are obviously primarily young. They listen to genres of music that are generally prominent among today’s society, as well as music that has been created and that has thrived within a period of the last ten years, namely dubstep, rap, and house music. (North) (Rentfrow)
A large scale study by a group called Signal Patterns notes many significant connections between the way people learn and their personalities, linking these to their preferences of music. It states that the way people describe themselves can usually be linked to certain music. One example is that people who have good social skills and like to use them listen to fast paced, loud music laced with heavy amounts of percussion. Subsequently, people that describe themselves as reserved and honest listen to slow paced music that is not as aggressive. People that fall into the category of intellectuals are found to listen to music that can inspire them and that may portray more complex themes and emotions than other music genres.
As stated earlier, rap and heavy metal are considered to portray anger well. Since the lower class experiences harsh living conditions and hard work, they are typically more prone to be angry. Listening to genres such as classical music or opera may relate to a more relaxed state of mind. People that are well past being financially stable have noticeably reduced stress levels due to them not having to constantly worry about living conditions and the ability to feed and take care of themselves along with their families. Mood plays such a large roll in music preference because it can elevate moods as well as channel anxiety and stress through a viable outlet.
A study was conducted by a scientist, famous hacker, and graduate of the University of Alabama named Virgil Griffith. Within this study, a direct correlation can be seen between genres of music that the participating students listened to and said students SAT scores. While most alternative and rock music can be found spread all through the spectrum, certain genres stand out on either side. Rap and country is found to be associated with lower SAT scores while music such as Beethoven is enjoyed by people that score very high. It should be noted that these are correlations and not causations.
Other studies, such as one by North, also support these claims. People with higher educational values tended to lean towards the classical genres of music while those that were not as educationally savvy enjoy music created by DJ’s and other genres such as country music. One odd result showed that those that attend fee paying schools preferred not only opera music, but hip hop and rap as well. Those that attend state schools, on the other hand, preferred country, pop, and musicals. People that excelled in their educational status (such as people that received PhD’s and master’s degrees) listened to jazz, opera, blues, and classical music (Emmison 214). This study may suggest that the educational status of individuals may not be a huge contributor to what drives people to listen to certain music genres. Instead, this theory states that what people listen to based on education may be a direct correlation with age. (Emmison)
In a study created by North and Heaver, it is noted that people prefer others with similar musical tastes rather than those that had different tastes. This factor may contribute to why certain groups and stereotypes can be associated with specific groups. (North)
Geography has a cultural impact on the way music is listened to and how it is perceived. In the United States, certain stereo-types are associated with where an individual’s may inhabit. People that live in an area associated with the creation or utilization of certain music genres generally tend to listen to their native brands of music. The South is known for country, rock n’ roll, gospel and rap; the Northeast is known for its classical music, operas, indie-music and electronic/club music; the West is well-known for rap, alternative, punk, and pop; and the Mid-West for its jazz. For the genre rap, there has always been a battle between “east coast and west coast rap”. Atlanta became one of the first cities that created a new genre of rap; Dirty South. (Gross) (LeBlanc)
Dirty South was a new creation of the genre rap by the African Americans who felt that that Dirty South was a “bold statement from rappers who felt estranged from Atlanta's economic and social progress and excluded by their ‘southernness’ from competing in a rap-music market dominated by New York and Los Angeles” (Grem 59). One of the first groups to emerge from this genre was known as OutKast. Looked down upon by many fans, they strived to become number one. In the year of 2004, they won the Grammy Music Award and had millions of fans supporting them. OutKast influenced Dirty South because in the year of 2000, rappers from the South preferred the new genre Dirty South. This new rap was a blend of older African American music such as gospel, the blues and rock n’roll. One artist stated “ ‘We cut words off. We're lazy with our tongue. We really don't care about your diction.... So, you know, you're going to have to rewind it a few times’ ” (Grem 60). By 2000, southern rap artists preferred promoting this while critiques thought it was a new style of hip-hop. Living in an area such as Atlanta where a new music is evolved will lead to the popularity of it, allowing the people there listen to it and influence it on everyone around them, especially the South. (Grem)
Children grow up listening to their parent’s music and then create their own music preference in later life. A child will be more prone to like their parent’s music if their parent’s play it often for them. A study conducted by some researchers wanted to see if it would matter if the child had nurturing parents or non-nurturing parents. The researchers presented a survey to college students and asked about their parents’ musical preference. Then the college students were asked whether they would consider their parents loving and caring or consider their parents uncaring and not showing much attention to them. Then they were asked to score their parents favorite artist’s when listening to a soundtrack from that artist. It was found that college students who had loving parents were prone to favor their parent’s favorite artists more than those who had uncaring, distant parents. (DeBono)
Memories are vital to one’s life. These memories make up who we are and how we go about our everyday lives. Memories are created every second of every day. When one listens to a song such as “Motorcycle Drive-By” by Third Eye Blind, it could bring up a past memory such as that individual’s mother. Songs can even bring up bad memories that an individual may want to forget or great memories they will want to cherish forever (Levitin 204). That memory will change that person’s music taste just because of a song that reminds them of a bad memory. The same goes with friends and using drugs. The mind goes under a new state of consciousness and may create new music choices. (Levitin) (Panda)
Drug use can also affect one’s musical preference. Marijuana users may listen to music that stimulates their mind while under the influence of the substance. Genres such as indie rock and reggae may coincide with the laidback mood and feeling generated by THC. With other hallucinogen based drugs such as acid or mushrooms, users typically tend to listen to more stimulating genres such as fast paced techno and its subgenres. These can aid the mind in creating hallucinations and make the trips more intense. One reason these types of music may be preferred by the listener is that often times the music is created either while under the influence of said drugs or for its users. A study was conducted on why more teens are using drugs in 1996. The results showed that friends who were under the influence influenced not only the marijuana drug upon their friends but also influenced the music that they listened to (Haywood 14). The study proves that individuals from the age group of thirteen to their early twenties used THC to create a new music preference based off their experience with the drug. Most of the teens were under their peer’s pressure to use the drug which is why their music might have changed (Gross 60). Now more teens that were influenced by the drug, in all social groups and geographic regions, use this drug to create a similar music taste. (Gross) (Haywood) (New Findings)
In 1941, a prominent sociologist named Adorno created a thesis that states that the reason for different types of genres of music are directed results of pre-existing social hierarchies and structures (North 476). Another study created in 1984 by Bourdieu recognizes that some music (as well as performances) may be easily accessible by some groups rather than others. It states that art pieces that may be sponsored or endorsed are more likely to be associated with the upper classes. An example of this is museum art as compared to non legit art. Since the upper class has the resources and means to be able to afford entry into museums, they are more likely to gain an appreciation for said pieces. An inverse relationship of appreciation can be seen here, as the lower classes are more likely to enjoy low brow art created for mass consumption for which they have the means to access. The same can be said for musical preference. Upper classes can easily afford to attended operas and symphonies while lower classes tend to associate with the other genres that do not require large financial profit. (North)
Natasha Panda, an expert in the field of music and psychology, believes that living in a certain geographic location of a place will play a part in music preference. However, the region of the area may have different musical tunes such as Alton Park and Soddy Daisy. These two both reside in Chattanooga but what is heard in Alton Park is completely different from what is heard in Soddy Daisy and vice versa. Two different types of music preferences exist within one region. Panda also believes that “stereotypes of musical preference have been associated with socioeconomic classes in the United States before but that is now starting to change”. Not only does the geographic and social class determine one’s musical taste, parents also have a big impact as well. When asked “Do you think listening to music when growing up will affect one’s music choice?” Panda replied “Absolutely.” She strongly agrees that parents influence a child’s music taste because children like to mimic their parents to achieve their approval. Another question asked was “What do you think about the conclusion of a higher education leads to more high art music choice?” Panda did not think that higher education would lead to high art music nor did she believe that lower education would lead to low art music choice like Emmison did. She believes higher education leads to high art music and different music taste than those with a lower education. Panda also believes that drugs influence music preference. Drugs “alter the state of consciousness” which will lead to different music taste when under the influence. Music is a part of everyday life, whether an individual enjoys it or not. (Panda)
Music is derived from many cultures of the world. Beats and tunes are heard every where whether it is in a car playing on the radio, the internet, concerts, elevators, symphonies, word by mouth and so on. Music adapts quickly, from region to region. The tunes and lyrics are enjoyed by many and may impact lives. Music evolves at the same pace as society. As people and their lives change, music also evolves and is altered. The lives people lead affect their music preferences. The music peoples’ parents listen to as the person grows up plays a huge factor in what music preference the person has. As they grow up, peer influences and the radio play their part as well. The people they associate with contribute to their taste. As they age even more, many factors all come together simultaneously to craft all new genre preferences. These factors include all kinds of things such as if the person in question participates in the use of narcotics or other mind altering substances, what geographic location they reside within or spend most of their time in, the type of music that dominates their region, and even which social classes the individual is a part of. Social status and age seem to be the largest determinates of how to associate a certain individual with a specific genre or group of genres. This is based mostly on how easily accessible certain types of music may be. Those in the upper class are more likely to be exposed to genres such as opera and classical genres due to their ability to be able to spend money on attending its performance. The lower classes listen to the types of music that are prevalent on radio stations and may thrive within their area. The middle classes are the most difficult to associate with any brand of music because they are mostly eclectic and enjoy such a broad array of musical genres and artists. People of all ages have grown up listening to different types of music. In the contemporary era, most teens listen to rap, hip hop and other popular music while the people from the seventies will most likely listen to bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Grand Funk Railroad. Music is derived from different backgrounds of several cultures around the world. Music preferences are based off one’s social class and geographic location.