Music taste and intelligence

[antigoon]

Of course this would get posted on a prog metal forum

[TheGreatPretender]

Here's the bottom line. In spite of the kind of environment YOU grew up in, most kids grow up listening to typical Top 40 hits, the dumbest, lowest common denominator of music (half the time). But they'll still succeed in school, and not just in the academic stuff, but in social sciences, and things like that. I didn't discover progressive music until I was into my 20s, so it's kind of silly to think that intelligent people will only listen to intelligent music. Heck, some of them might not even be that interested in music, period.

[ariich]

Of course this would get posted on a prog metal forum

Not sure what you mean by that, it could easily be posted on many other types of forum such as jazz, classical, literature, etc.

The fact that pretty much every person in the thread has shot down the OP's suggestion also says a lot about what the forum is like.

[Kotowboy]

It would explain why the typical working-class hoodie wearing council estate chav type person ONLY listens to the most generic, commercial chart-based pop shit.

Seriously - they never listen to anything else.

[Jaq]

I was raised a redneck, grew up living in a trailer at one point, and have spent all my life surrounded by and being a construction worker.

You gotta love generalizations. 

[jsem]

I find that among intelligent people they still listen to the same dull mind-numbing top chart hits and EDM.

(Not meant as a jab on popular music, some of it's good and I do find enjoyment in it. But sometimes you just want to take a sledgehammer and destroy their music playing device. )

[FourthHorseman]

I never thought of this idea as being absolute fact, I don't want to give off the wrong impression  :

Its simply something I noticed among the people I know that are my peers, and I was curious as to what you guys thought.

But you can't say that academic performance and intelligence are not related. I can think of only a few majors/career paths that are purely memorization and non-analytical/cerebral

[antigoon]

Of course this would get posted on a prog metal forum

Not sure what you mean by that, it could easily be posted on many other types of forum such as jazz, classical, literature, etc.

The fact that pretty much every person in the thread has shot down the OP's suggestion also says a lot about what the forum is like.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Of course this would get posted on a prog metal forum

Not sure what you mean by that, it could easily be posted on many other types of forum such as jazz, classical, literature, etc.

The fact that pretty much every person in the thread has shot down the OP's suggestion also says a lot about what the forum is like.

So by posting a Bieber gif, I can only assume that you are implying that the lot of us wear our pants lower than where Florida is on a US map and that we reek of mousse, Axe Body Spray, and Astroglide?

THIS WON'T STAND, I TELL YOU!!

[TioJorge]

I would bang that chick so hard.

[ariich]

[aprilethereal]

I've always been good at school and maybe a bit of a nerd compared to most people and my tastes aren't very mainstream, but I also know of some people in my area who are really smart and they listen to basic pop/rock, so I can't see any correlation between intelligence and musical tastes. However, I think that if you play some instrument you may be more likely to enjoy really complex and technical music than those who don't have musical education.

I agree with all of this. One of my best friends is basically the most intelligent and smart person I have ever met and mostly listens to "simple" pop music.

Nevertheless, I think there is at least a connection between music taste / listening habits and a person's character. I can't really justify this (I tried to write something to do so, but it didn't really make sense at all) and I might be totally wrong, but that's just something I have noticed over time.

[TheGreatPretender]

Actually, now that I think about it... Rush... When Rush first started gaining popularity, what was the song that got them attention? And who did that song appeal to? The answer to both questions is "Working Man".

[sueño]

Of course this would get posted on a prog metal forum

Not sure what you mean by that, it could easily be posted on many other types of forum such as jazz, classical, literature, etc.

The fact that pretty much every person in the thread has shot down the OP's suggestion also says a lot about what the forum is like.

No one would like to admit to being an elite snob.  Even if they are.   

While I love music like I love life itself, I've never had the attitude that what I like is better or deeper that what someone else likes (or vice versa).  Or the premise that if it's popular on top 40, it must be crap, pap for the masses.  What-EVAH.  I've come to love a lot of different music from "Best Of" compilations and I will continue to.

It's rather like a thread we had here a few weeks ago where someone intimated that "the music chooses you".  That implies that there is some esoteric, blessed enlightenment that others don't have and I don't think that's true.  I can appreciate when people are really "INTO" a particular genre, know every aspect, background story, time sig, chord change, level leap, instrument and amp that's used on every track the band has ever played.    I admire the passion.  I've gained a lot of insight into the craft of making and producing music from such "true believers".    As much as I love music, I will never be into it that hard.  That seems more like work to me; I'd rather express appreciation for those willing to do it and just enjoy.  I'll go buy the music they recommend. 

I will say that the elite-y, "more intelligent/appreciative", "I was there at the beginning so screw you newbs" flavor that I sometimes detect here (and other music forums -- I'm on a few) can make delving into new music with those types a bit off-putting.     I'm reminded of that comic book guy on The Simpsons.     No one should want to be that guy.

That said, I DO believe that a child raised with an appreciation for music of all types and music lessons if at all possible tends to excel in school and can end up more intelligent.  I think that's a proven fact of some kind (can't be bothered to look it up ).  It's an important ingredient to a developing mind.

And this forum is cool!   

[FourthHorseman]

Yep, that's why music education(at least where I live) is required in elementary school, its been proved that it stimulates the mind and reinforces learning, at least to some degree

[Super Dude]

We've definitely had our fair share of numskulls over the years. Musical taste doesn't discriminate.

[rumborak]

I will say this, I have more than once scratched my head at DT fans who clearly display their lack of perception of the intricacies of the music. Like, some dude who is clearly a diehard DT fan will airdrum to a prominent section, but display his complete lack of noticing it's in an odd meter.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Because everyone can recognize odd time signatures...

[bosk1]

Well, I am the smartest person I've ever met, and I listen to the best music.  So, I dunno.  There might be a correllation there.

[Kotowboy]

WEL I LYK GREN DAY AND I CAN TYPIN

[rumborak]

Because everyone can recognize odd time signatures...

Isn't that part of DT's allure though? It just strikes me as weird to be a huge DT fan when you don't even notice the rhythm of the song.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I have never spent any moment while listening to DT thinking about their time signatures. I just don't. I like the music.

Edit: I don't mean I don't notice and admire their technical skill, I just don't really care about time sigs and such.

[rumborak]

I'm not saying you should be sitting there thinking "ooh, a 5/16+3/8 combination!", but how do you enjoy Metropolis without understanding what's going on?

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

By listening to it. I honestly have no other way of describing it. I listen to it, and I like how it sounds.

I'm not saying you shouldn't listen for those things, I just don't.

[Jaffa]

I'm not saying you should be sitting there thinking "ooh, a 5/16+3/8 combination!", but how do you enjoy Metropolis without understanding what's going on?

The same way I can admire a photograph without understanding exactly how cameras work. 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I'm not saying you should be sitting there thinking "ooh, a 5/16+3/8 combination!", but how do you enjoy Metropolis without understanding what's going on?

The same way I can admire a photograph without understanding exactly how cameras work.

This is a fantastic analogy.

[rumborak]

 Isn't it a bit like looking at a photograph but missing a color?

I dunno. I can definitely say I derive a good amount of enjoyment of listening to DT to "crack the code" so to speak, I.e. parsing the song.

I take it you guys don't like Planet X?

[Jaffa]

Isn't it a bit like looking at a photograph but missing a color?

No.  You may not know the name of the color or how to replicate that specific shade, but you can still see the color, and you can still think it's pretty.

I dunno. I can definitely say I derive a good amount of enjoyment of listening to DT to "crack the code" so to speak, I.e. parsing the song.

Well, that's fair.  If it works for you, great!  But for me, all that really matters is how the music sounds to me.  And DT sounds awesome to me.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Isn't it a bit like looking at a photograph but missing a color?

I dunno. I can definitely say I derive a good amount of enjoyment of listening to DT to "crack the code" so to speak, I.e. parsing the song.

I take it you guys don't like Planet X?

I like Planet X, actually, at least the few tracks I've heard from them.

I also like Meshuggah, Zero Hour, Dillinger Escape Plan, and various other "complex" bands. I don't like them for their complexity, though, I just like the way their music sounds.

I guess there's really no explaining it.

[rumborak]

It definitely sounds like the "unweaving the rainbow" discussion. You certainly can enjoy the rainbow as it is, but I find the knowledge how it came about adds to its grandeur.
It's a bit like the difference between passive and active listening.

[sueño]

The main thing is that the music is enjoyed and appreciated.  I think enjoyment is key.  If Jaffa and rumbo went to a DT concert, the would both love it.

There should be no pity or condescension from either because one geeked out over the wicked time sigs and could say in exactly what measure it changed and the other was carried away by the music as a whole.

Macro or micro appreciation...is either superior?  To each their own, really.   

My two bits

[Ben_Jamin]

I find it more odd that you can't understand why someone can listen to music without analyzing the music.

I also analyze, but I can also just enjoy a song for what it is. Even simple pop stuff is great, hell I enjoy Starships by Nicki Minaj.

[TheGreatPretender]

It just strikes me as weird to be a huge DT fan when you don't even notice the rhythm of the song.

Well, it's not that we don't notice the odd time signatures. I notice them, sure, but it's not like I can instantly recognize exactly what it is. It's obvious when a time signature changes into something new and interesting, but I can't just count it. I mean, I can get a general sense of the rhythm, but I can't just count it and recognize exactly what it is. So yeah, the photograph analogy describes it pretty well. It's not that I don't see the colors, it's that I don't bother trying to figure out what the Photoshop hexadecimal value of every given color is.

[Jaq]

I can play drums, understand time signatures, and still only listen to DT's music without delving too deeply into the mechanics. Admittedly because even at my best-and that was a LONG time ago-I couldn't keep up with either MP or MM, but still. Your analogy is like saying I can't drive a car because I don't understand internal combustion. 

[rumborak]

Err, no. That's a terrible analogy.
Besides, what TGP is just posting is not that different to what I'm saying. I just have the impression sometimes when I see people in concerts that they're not even aware of the time changes.