The science behind your taste in music

[Analogous]

“An interesting thing about our musical tastes is how early those seeds are planted. “Every baby comes equipped to speak any language, or make any sound for the hundreds of languages that are out there. Through the first year, especially, it gets more limited. The synapses generated in the brain forge certain sounds and exclude others. There’s something similar that takes place with music. It’s known as ‘inculturation.’ In the first six months or so, babies can actually follow the syntax of any musical style — complex rhythms from Turkey or major scales from Europe. If you play something for a baby a few times and make a slight shift, the baby turns its head at that shift. It recognizes the deviation. The power that we have as infants to process and understand music is extraordinary.”

Gasser says, as we grow, our musical tastes really help us to forge our individual identities — especially distinct from our parents. “Music becomes that stake in the ground — ‘this is who I am”. “But at the same time, the music people listened to at an early age becomes their native home comfort music. When they grow up, that music will be part of who they are, tied in with memories and growing up. All of these powers are why music is so important to us.”

A musicologist explains the science behind your taste in music

Nolan Gasser, musician and musicologist, knows why you can't quit 80s music.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[alpha1]

Yeah, I have experimented a lot musically, with my small kid right from the days he was not even born!

 

[ketansethi1987]

“An interesting thing about our musical tastes is how early those seeds are planted. “Every baby comes equipped to speak any language, or make any sound for the hundreds of languages that are out there. Through the first year, especially, it gets more limited. The synapses generated in the brain forge certain sounds and exclude others. There’s something similar that takes place with music. It’s known as ‘inculturation.’ In the first six months or so, babies can actually follow the syntax of any musical style — complex rhythms from Turkey or major scales from Europe. If you play something for a baby a few times and make a slight shift, the baby turns its head at that shift. It recognizes the deviation. The power that we have as infants to process and understand music is extraordinary.”

Gasser says, as we grow, our musical tastes really help us to forge our individual identities — especially distinct from our parents. “Music becomes that stake in the ground — ‘this is who I am”. “But at the same time, the music people listened to at an early age becomes their native home comfort music. When they grow up, that music will be part of who they are, tied in with memories and growing up. All of these powers are why music is so important to us.”

A musicologist explains the science behind your taste in music

Nolan Gasser, musician and musicologist, knows why you can't quit 80s music.

www.nbcnews.com

Beg to differ with the theory. I believe the equipment you have plays a major role in the kind of music you listen to. When I listen to music without a subwoofer I listen to Backstreet Boys and when I have a subwoofer I listen to Wiz Khalifa or dubsteps or Astrix. Both are poles apart. The genre gets changes when you change you system.

 

[square_wave]

Beg to differ with the theory. I believe the equipment you have plays a major role in the kind of music you listen to. When I listen to music without a subwoofer I listen to Backstreet Boys and when I have a subwoofer I listen to Wiz Khalifa or dubsteps or Astrix. Both are poles apart. The genre gets changes when you change you system.

I am firmly on the other camp. I have assembled a system that works well for most of my kind of music. However, it is also a fact that if one's system is very resolving, your taste can evolve slowly to include music that are more acoustic and nuanced because you will start hearing and appreciating the intricacies of such music. Typically this will not act as a deterrent to your original taste in music.

 

[Analogous]

I am firmly on the other camp. I have assembled a system that works well for most of my kind of music. However, it is also a fact that if one's system is very resolving, your taste can evolve slowly to include music that are more acoustic and nuanced because you will start hearing and appreciating the intricacies of such music. Typically this will not act as a deterrent to your original taste in music.

Very nicely expressed @square_wave !
Couldn’t agree more.
Have noticed when friends with music preferences that are very different to mine visit and play their choices on my set up it sounds very…ordinary and boring even.

 

[Saiganesh]

Wow! Interesting insights. Music should not be manipulative. The gear does influence the kind of music we listen to - personally felt so.
But music can be manipulated. Question is - is manipulative music good?
Meaning - manipulations feels like we are played around - taken for granted.
But pure music is a flow of soul - flow of thought - communicating a state of mind!
So...

 

[haripkv]

A pleasing music may be soothing for a new bone. However, a child turning its head towards a change in musical sound cannot be assumed as it is having taste in music. Any change in the environment attracts attention of a baby. It is similar with animals also..

Researches in human behaviour tell that children are born with some preset of skills to learn language. However they require immense exposure to learn and develop first language. Only few words are pronounced in the first two years. However this does not happen in auto.. Researchers points out an example of a normal child who was born to deaf parents and did not show any development in language skill. Then the parents had to resort for the help of a speech therapist to educate the child.

 

[argho]

I have made sure that my daughters can identify all the 60s and 70s bands - the music that Ilisten to.
They even know the songs - Led Zep, Doors, Dylan, Beatles, Rolling Stones, CCR - the works.

I have given them an education Thats as much as I can do.

I honestly cannot listen to the music that they listen to.