Kristian Spence
Jean Cocteau reminds us that “all good music resembles something [and that] good music stirs by its mysterious resemblance to the objects and feelings which motivate it.” During the last few weeks of January 2015, I asked some of my fellow students from Metro Academic Studies four questions on the subject of music. The answers I received were, to say the least, quite varied, especially on the subject of favorite genre. Twenty percent of the students said pop and eighteen percent said alternative. The other sixty-two percent had answers as different and unique as electronic, musical theater, a capella, and even romantic period (yes that is its own distinctive genre) and African country. The diversity of MAS students is clearly translated in the music they enjoy. There is a flip side to this however; while uniqueness was abundant, the things that drew each individual to a particular genre or song were very similar. When asked, “What makes a song impactful?”, students answered with a clear winner. Fifty-two percent of students responded, and quickly, that the lyrics in a song are what they are impacted by. The survey shows something important; although the interviewees were attracted to separate genres, for the most part they were attracted to those respective genres for the same or very similar reasons. The data from the survey along with the questions I asked are printed below. To all those that were a part of my survey, a big thanks to you!
Jean Cocteau reminds us that “all good music resembles something [and that] good music stirs by its mysterious resemblance to the objects and feelings which motivate it.” During the last few weeks of January 2015, I asked some of my fellow students from Metro Academic Studies four questions on the subject of music. The answers I received were, to say the least, quite varied, especially on the subject of favorite genre. Twenty percent of the students said pop and eighteen percent said alternative. The other sixty-two percent had answers as different and unique as electronic, musical theater, a capella, and even romantic period (yes that is its own distinctive genre) and African country. The diversity of MAS students is clearly translated in the music they enjoy. There is a flip side to this however; while uniqueness was abundant, the things that drew each individual to a particular genre or song were very similar. When asked, “What makes a song impactful?”, students answered with a clear winner. Fifty-two percent of students responded, and quickly, that the lyrics in a song are what they are impacted by. The survey shows something important; although the interviewees were attracted to separate genres, for the most part they were attracted to those respective genres for the same or very similar reasons. The data from the survey along with the questions I asked are printed below. To all those that were a part of my survey, a big thanks to you!
Favorite music genres | What makes a song impactful? | |||
Country | 11% | lyrics | 52% | |
Pop | 21% | bass | 4% | |
Rap/ Hip Hop | 8% | melody | 13% | |
Jazz | 4% | structure | 8% | |
Classical | 8% | mood of listener | 6% | |
Alternative | 19% | the beat | 10% | |
Rock/ Rock and Roll | 11% | rhythm | 4% | |
Metal | 2% | tone | 2% | |
Acapella | 2% | Total | 48 surveyed | |
African Country | 2% | |||
Folk | 6% | |||
Contemporary | 2% | What distinguishes music genres? | ||
Electronic | 2% | intstruments | 23% | |
Romantic Period | 2% | sounds used | 25% | |
Musical Theatre | 2% | style | 13% | |
Total | 53 surveyed | the artist | 10% | |
rhythm | 18% | |||
How long does it take to like a song? | audience | 5% | ||
5-10 seconds | 19% | inspiration | 3% | |
30 seconds | 26% | the listener | 3% | |
1 min. 30 seconds | 19% | the mood of the music | 3% | |
whole song | 17% | Total | 40 surveyed | |
few times listening | 19% | |||
Total | 42 surveyed |