I've also been very curious to this question. As I've said on so many previous occasions, music is the only art-form I feel which actually speaks to people, and can bring joy or sadness to a person, whether it be within the music itself, or in the words/lyrics of the song. And, it's amazing how 2 pitch intervals can represent "evil" to some people (mostly in the past, particularly in medieval times)...that being the tri-tone (augmented 4th...or, for example, playing the notes F# and C), when in reality, they are just notes which have no significance whatsoever..it's all just because the ear made people THINK that it sounded evil. It's now a frequently used interval by metal bands (the most classic example being in Black Sabbath's self titled song), but is not too uncommon in some pop and R&B music also.
I like the fact that people who like dance/indie music are seen as "not gentle" - as the MAJORITY of people who listen to this kind of music, from my personal experience, are not very nice people anyway, and this survey seems to have confirmed that. It's funny as well that Country music listeners are viewed as "Hardworking", and then has a picture of Dolly Parton. Classic. (for those who don't get the joke..."working 9-5..")
As for rock/heavy metal fans like myself (it's funny also how big media groups don't even consider other kinds of rock and metal), the personality traits are "low self esteem, creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, at ease". I would agree with a few of those, regarding the link to my personality - I generally have a low self-esteem, I'm creative, I work hard when I need to, but I generally relax, I am not as outgoing as I used to be, and I'd consider myself gentle and very much at ease. But, being such a musicophile, I also enjoy many other kinds of music, including classical and jazz..which seem to contradict the rock/heavy metal traits.
I also like how the conductor of this research, Dr Adrian North, suggests that those who like classical and those who like heavy metal are both creative and at ease but not outgoing." Moving away from the psychological aspects of these 2 music forms, there are a lot of similarities I feel between classical music and heavy metal...both are very virtuosic and require a lot of technical skill and concentration, and some classical music (such as the music of Bach) sounds like heavy metal without the instrumentation - if Bach were alive today, he would have been a fantastic composer. Let's not forget also Paganini's 24 Capricces, which are some of the most challenging pieces of music for violin, and have been played on the electric guitar by the likes of virtuoso Jason Becker - again, music well ahead of it's time and has been performed by metal musicians. And of course, the virtuoso guitar player Yngwie Malmsteen, who is very heavily inspired by classical music, to the point of him composing pieces for himself and an orchestra.
In the report itself, it mentions how a lot of music listeners are given a stereotype, in particular "heavy metal" fans - as being suicidal, and a danger to themselves and others. A lot of "heavy metal" fans I know and are friends with, are not that at all - it's simply because people don't understand it, and the "scene" that surrounds it - they don't like their look or their attitude, so they assume they're suicidal and craving attention when that's really not the case at all (of course, some of them are, but it's a swift generalisation). You never see heavy metal fans get in random fights in bars, but you would with a lot of dance music fans.
Another research which I might do in the future is assessing what "class" listens to what kind of music the most, and how it might affect them, such as crime-obsessed youngsters who listen to unbeneficial and unhelpful music (in my humble opinion) such as Gangsta Rap were to listen to other kinds of music, they would "open up" and perhaps become a better person.
The research and questionnaire I feel does have some flaws - there is no mention of other world musics, and no mention of fusion forms of music - such as Jazz Fusion and Rapcore (rap and rock music). I guess it is a general test for "general" people, not really for the music lover and obsessive like myself. I took the survey myself, and it did not ask what sort of music you liked, rather, it asked you what level of musical experience you had.
Anyway, I'm glad that some people notice how important music is to a persons life as much as I do.
News from home...
Well, it's POURING down right now; very heavy winds also. My parents are getting a new car today...and, that's about it. Oh, and I really want the game Too Human as well, for X-Box 360...played the demo and was blown away. Any game relating to Thor and Valhalla is good enough for me!
I'm also moving to the states on May 9th.
Iain
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