Music does not reflect persona

Music is one gift to mankind that helps most of us function sane in our daily life. According to a recent study conducted by Professor Bill Thompson from Macquarie University in Australia, Death metal fans are joyful people.

Have you ever seen a death metal fan and assumed he/she might be an aggressive, sadistic person? Are such perceptions and studies true in real time? Can music preferences depict the characteristics of people? Here is how we decipher these assumptions by speaking to fans of different genres and comparing the assumptions.

Common assumptions about Jazz is that the people who prefer this genre are usually financially stable, highly educated, enjoy wine and are extroverts.  This misconception could be because Jazz is  soothing and is usually played at expensive restaurants and aircrafts.  

Jagadeesh MR, jazz artiste said, “Jazz is a creative form of music, assuming that it’s followed only by the elite is only a stereotype. Commercial music is what most people like and we jazz artists aren’t very highly paid either. Personally, I am not a big fan of alcohol but I prefer only beer sometimes and I am a reclusive person who isn’t very active on social media, specifically when it comes to speaking about my personal life on a public forum.”

Trance is a genre that is energetic, rhythmic and is an electronic dance form of music. The stereotypical notion in this case is that trance genre lovers are extroverts, have a high self-esteem and usually are always in concerts and are without a job or a source of living.

Arjun Nair, Disc Jockey says, “It’s not right to stereotype and judge personality’s based on the kind of music they prefer. We are way beyond these assumptions, to be fair people who listen to trance are extremely creative people, they even use trance music while meditating and believe this music calms them down. I am an extrovert who loves trance and I do know a lot of people who are introverts and still follow this genre. I own a digital marketing firm and I know I am sorted.”

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music. The lyrics, performances and fans are assumed to be associated with aggression, shabby appearance usually with long hair, piercing and fierce tattoos. The fans are all considered to be neurotic, sadists and are unemployed.

George Simon, a metal head said, “I’m famous among my family and friend’s circle for my patience and I keep myself calm in all circumstances. I am a pet lover and an environmentalist with an ideology of preserving the earth. I’ve been a part of a metal band in my past but currently I am a sound engineer at a firm with a regular nine to five job timing as everyone else. My love for heavy metal began at a young age as it was introduced to me by my father. Most importantly, I do not have long hair, a long beard, piercings and certainly not a tattoo.”  

Vimala Arun, psychologist and assistant professor said, “A decade ago the only source youngsters had to associate their personality was with music. If they were sad they’d listen to melody and if they were angry then they’d choose loud and heavy music. This classification cleared the path for psychologists to conclude that music can be associated with the personality. However, in today’s world youngsters are bold to voice their opinions on social media and speak out in public. This could be the reason that the study holds no weight in the present.”

With millenials breaking stereotypes and living their dreams with their own choices, it might be time for psychologists to improvise their study.