# A quick survey about listening habits



## Talrum (Apr 10, 2016)

Hi, i've been lurking here for about a year and have learnt a lot, never posted though, however i'm doing a school paper on attitudes towards classical music and differences in listening habits across different ages, and i would be forever grateful if you would answer some questions i have, 

When did you first hear classical music?
What got you into classical music?
Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?
Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?
Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?
How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?
How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?

Thanks a lot in advance


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Talrum said:


> Hi, i've been lurking here for about a year and have learnt a lot, never posted though, however i'm doing a school paper on attitudes towards classical music and differences in listening habits across different ages, and i would be forever grateful if you would answer some questions i have,
> 
> Thanks a lot in advance


I'll have a go.
*

When did you first hear classical music?*

I think when I was very young, maybe 2 or 3 years old, as it was then that my parents moved out of my grandparents' home. My father listened to BBC radio 3. 
*
What got you into classical music?
*
Exposure to my father's and possibly my grandmother's taste in music; then Beethoven's piano sonatas.*

Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*

Given the changes in technology over 50+years, yes, of course. The internet has opened up the possibility of exposure to all sorts of music, and both my children were influenced by that.
*
Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*.

I think for me it was probably a refuge from an unhappy, emotionally chaotic family into which I could retreat into relative safety. Children still need to do that. Whether they find classical music that way is a matter of luck, and what's available to them, I think.
*
Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*

I think it can seem so, especially to those who do not (yet) get classical music. But so much music is free to listen to that it need not be. I think it probably helps to know people who listen to classical music and can point you in a helpful direction.
*
How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*

I have no way of knowing. My daughter listens to vocal classical music as well as plenty of rock music, musicals and film music. My son is into avant-garde rock, jazz and classical music but he is now listening to 19th century music too. Obviously both of them grew up hearing the music I liked, which when they were children was mostly pre-1985 rock, jazz and classical music from about 1750 - 1950.

Many young people they know never listen to classical music but the same is true of my peers, back in the day as well as now. I do see a lot of younger people at contemporary and modern classical music events.
*
How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*

It has greatly increased the availability and accessibility of classical music (and of course all sorts of other music). I have been able to sample all sorts of things I would never have thought to listen to, and as a result I have bought quite a few CDs and flac downloads. My son has explored contemporary classical music largely through the internet.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

When did you first hear classical music?

When I was little and listened to my mothers records and audio cassettes.

What got you into classical music?

I thought it was beautiful.

Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?

Yes they can discover through internet.

Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?

Yes

Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?

I have no idea.

How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?

I think the last two or three generations have listened to classical music at the same extent while the generations before listened more to classical music while the generations even earlier did not listen to music much at all.

How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?

I think it have changed a lot. I can write this post.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Fun questions,

*When did you first hear classical music?*
I honestly don't remember exactly when, probably Warner Bros cartoons

*What got you into classical music?*
Disney's Fantasia captivated me, and when I was around 10, I asked for piano lessons, and I discovered Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*
Yes, I think they discover new music off the internet.

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*
Yes

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*
Maybe? I don't know, it never has for me. I think the stereotype of classical elitism is perpetuated by TV and movies more than anything else

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*
The amount of recorded music available off the internet, mainstream or obscure, is vastly greater today than ever before.

*How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*
New music can be discovered and streamed on a whim. You don't even need to subscribe to any streaming apps, because almost all radio stations have an online live stream, and there's always YouTube


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

When did you first hear classical music? -Probably The Lone Ranger.

What got you into classical music? - My father enjoying listening to it, and we went to concerts occasionally.

Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before? - Obviously, everyone does.

Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way? - I have no idea.

Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary? - It never has to me and with the availabillity of music these days there is no reason it should.

How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations? - I don’t have the slightest clue.

How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music? - Yes. YouTube, Spotify etc.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

*When did you first hear classical music?*
My first memories are when I was very young - about six - so probably I first heard it even before that. I'd be listening to our family's 78 collection, which included Bolero, the Ritual Fire Dance, Invitation to the Waltz, the Nutcracker Suite etc. Also, a lot of classical music was played on BBC radio and television in Britain because of Lord Reith's mission to spread culture to the people & not lower the tone. I remember watching ballet on my granny's television when I was only four years old - I was fascinated.

*What got you into classical music?*
Playing the violin at school - Eta Cohen's Violin Method Book 2 contains a lot of Handel, Bach & some Gluck & Mozart.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*
Yes, I'm sure they do. But at the same time, they still discover it the way I did. Coincidentally, last night I hosted a buffet for some friends I've met at a pub session playing folk music. One of them brought his daughter, aged 13. She likes classical music & knows of it mainly through playing in her county's youth orchestra. She doesn't listen to it apart from that. So pretty much like me at her age!

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*
Not particularly. It was probably fairly common in York, the city I grew up in, because in the 50s, 60s & 70s, they ran a scheme for free violin tuition in schools, which many parents took advantage of.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*
Yes. It is still associated in Britain with upper and middle class people. When I taught at one private school in the 1980s, the local left-wing council had voted to exclude from its youth orchestras anyone who went to a fee-paying school.

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*
The average is probably down, because classical music has lost its favoured position on the BBC (shades of Lord Reith). But there will be exceptions, because classical music has been popularised in various crossover styles.

*How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*
It has become more accessible. When I was young, the only way to find out if you wanted to buy an LP was to hire a booth and play it through. Now you can download it, or find it on YouTube. People can find music that is not generally known about - can specialise in a subject - and quickly amass expertise in any genre of music because there's so much available.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

*When did you first hear classical music?*

Radio in the 50's. Many TV programs used classical themes - Quatermass for one.

*What got you into classical music?*

Despite playing the piano as a child, I didn't get into Classical music until much later. I came in through folk and then through early music and Baroque. That's still my main interest.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*

You'll get a range of answers as to how people got into Classical music but the big thing is the internet which makes all sorts of music available.

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*

Yes, for my generation. We had the BBC pushing classical music even on the Light program. There was the whole folk revival of the 60's which overlapped with the early music scene.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*

No more than any other music scene. The fact that a wealth management group can be persuaded to sponsor Baroque music says something about the audience - a self defined elite which can be exclusionary. Equally folk music can be just as elitist and exclusionary - think Pete Seeger, axe, Newport and (electrified) Bob Dylan.

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*

Probably more because it is so available. We were limited to the radio, some TV and occasional record libraries. All of these were static. Now people walk around with an i pod containing several hundred discs.

*How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*

It puts people in touch with like minded enthusiasts. Sites like this can provide help and encouragement and then there's You Tube as well as all the stream sites and of course IMSLP. Amazon and other sites help. We heard a lovely version of Rachmaninov's St John Chrysostom liturgy on You Tube - totally unavailable. Eventually we went to a French site and were put in touch with a seller in Moscow - wow!


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

*When did you first hear classical music?
*
As a child I woke every day to classical music being played on the radio ... Coffee Cup Concerto was the name of the program.

*What got you into classical music?
*
Both parents were performing musicians with the Scandinavian Symphony in Detroit Michigan and later on with the Long Beach Philharmonic. Mom played the violin, Dad the BBb concert tuba which was housed in two cases, one just for the bell.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?
*
Certainly. It's all available almost immediately now with the advent of the internet some years back.

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?
*
It was for that day and age. We had the radio, LP's and reel-to-reel tapes.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?
*
Unfortunately, yes. But through efforts of this and other music discussion forums we are trying to remove that "elitist" moniker. Classical music is for everyone and we, as a forum, should be welcoming newbies who come to this site for advice as first time listeners.

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?
*
Probably more than we think. I've heard some musical groups incorporate portions of a classical piece of music into their modern day material. The late Virgil Fox did this with some of his "heavy organ" concert venues where he took classical organ pieces and made them interesting to the novice listener.

* How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?
*
Greatly ... we have the world at our fingertips in this day and age. As I stated before, we did not have the internet let alone home computers (nor mobile phones) in my youthful years. We had to go to a listening booth to sample music. In the current age we can all be armchair shoppers.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

OK. I think I can try to answer.

When did you first hear classical music?

I really can not remember. My mom studied opera and piano. She used to play a lot of classical music on the record player.

What got you into classical music?

Because of my mom I listened to classical music since I was a toddler.

Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?

I do not know.

Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?

I do not know.

Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?

Yes. Most people I know who listen to classical are pretty cool. They like to listen to all kinds of non-classical music as well. I have found that those who listen to mostly 18th and 19the century music can get pretty snobby and give the classical music scene a bad reputation.

How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?

I do not know.

How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?

I think it has helped by making music more accessible.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

*When did you first hear classical music?*

Infancy. My mother is a classical (church) musician. It was played all the time in our house.

*What got you into classical music?*

I couldn't say. I was into it as soon as I was aware of having music preferences, as a child.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*

Yes, but not as much as one might think - I suspect it's still very common to discover music from one's friends, as it always has been. You can discover a lot of music on the internet, but most people don't obsessively search the internet for music. Those who do - who in earlier generations would have been the kids who haunted record stores - share with their friends.

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*

Not uncommon, but I know a lot of people who got into it later than life, too.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*

Absolutely. I'm used to classical concerts because I've been going since I was a kid. But I imagine people unfamiliar with them might feel the way I do on the rare occasion I find myself in a truly high-end restaurant - somewhat out of place and intimidated.

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*

I really don't know. I don't think classical music has ever been popular with adolescents.

*How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*

I can only say what it's done to me - it has led me to seek breadth over depth somewhat. This has advantages and disadvantages. I certainly know a huge amount of music I would never have discovered without the internet. On the other hand there is a kind of attention-deficient flitting from one thing to another all the time. But I wouldn't want to be without online streaming services or YouTube.


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## Dedalus (Jun 27, 2014)

*When did you first hear classical music?
*
It has to be on cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Fantasia, etc. as a kid.

*What got you into classical music?
*
I was reading Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy as well as a book generally surveying Nietzsche and his philosophy, and there were passages in which Nietzsche spoke so eloquently and profoundly (even gushingly) about classical music, Wagner in particular, that it inspired me to check some out. I didn't know what to look for at first really, but I found this forum and it helped very much. This all started just two years ago, and I've since learned and listened so much while feeling I've only scratched the surface.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?
*
Without a doubt. Although this question makes me wonder "before what?".

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?
*
Absolutely not. I didn't grow up with it, I sought it out on my own using the internet to both listen and learn about it.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?
*
This is definitely a common perception. I really don't know whether it's true or not; I've never been a part of any classical musical scene. The only kind of classical music community I've been exposed to has been online. Given these are places where everybody is already into classical music, I don't often see classical music listeners interacting with non-classical music listeners.

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?
*
I really don't know. I would pessimistically assume it's less per capita than ever, although the absolute amount may very well be higher due to the rise in population.

* How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?
*
Without the internet I would never have had the opportunity to discover so much classical music as I did. I think the internet was a huge game changer in almost every facet of modern life.


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

Talrum said:


> *When did you first hear classical music?*
> 
> It would have been in the womb. I'm told that my mother and her father (with whom I lived) were great fans of classical music but I lost them both before I was 4. (My father and his family, with whom I then went to live (in the bush) actively disliked it
> 
> ...


You're welcome.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I'll have a go. I haven't read the other posts so as not to impact my responses. Sorry if I duplicate obvious things already said.

*When did you first hear classical music?*
Probably via my sister's piano lessons. This would have been late 1950s.

*What got you into classical music?*
The film score to 2001: a space odyssey, 1968 or so.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*
I not only believe, I know. Few will go into record shops these days because there are almost none left and broadcast radio is only one small (not too popular) option among many where once it was the only option.

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*
Maybe. The question doesn't take into consideration the very long gap in time. 1968 technologies and the options available were very different.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*
This is a rumor. It never excluded me. I think it's more the other way around; people exclude it.

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*
Not sure. It wasn't popular in previous generations either. I hid the fact that I liked it as an adolescent because it wasn't cool. Times might be more tolerant now, but I'm certain you know more about this than I do.

*How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*
It's a double edged sword. There are so many more options available to sample. While this is a wonder and a joy it can also be bewildering. I think fan bases for popular music too have splintered whereas in my day (you know, when we had to walk to school uphill both ways in the snow barefoot  ) more people may have had music tastes in common creating bonds and a sense of community. Still, word of mouth and smaller fan bases may also create a sense of belonging, but to smaller groups which can be a very special feeling too. Overall -- a big thumbs up for the Internet.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*When did you first hear classical music?*
As a child in the 1970s I know I'd have heard bits of classical music routinely on TV etc, but the first time I sat down to deliberately listen to classical music I was probably about 10 or 11, 1980/81.

*What got you into classical music?*
One specific thing I can point to is a double album called "The Classic Experience", released in 1988 and a big commercial success. When I heard that, I realised many of the pieces were familiar. I was in college by then and was able to use the college and city libraries to explore more.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*
Music generally, you mean? Then yes; we relied on radio and TV shows, neither of which get my kids' attention (well, of course they watch TV, but not music shows).

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*
Perhaps for the time, it would have been for someone without a musical education.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*
Well, I suppose _any_ esoteric interest can seem exclusionary. It has always seemed to me to be something generally regarded by others as "aspirational" rather than "elitist". Depends where you're coming from, I suppose. On the one hand, there are many efforts to promote classical music as something not at all elitist (such as the BBC Proms, for instance), but on the other there are several posters on TC who have contempt for "the masses".

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*
Haven't a clue. Probably not much, as ever. But I imagine they're exposed to less of it in their daily lives than we were in the 1970s and 80s via adverts and so on. There is no modern equivalent of Morecambe and Wise doing a prime-time comedy sketch involving Grieg's piano concerto (by Grieg).

*How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*
It's made everything so much more accessible. I do pretty much all my buying and discovery online now. The "gateway" aspect is interesting; when I started out, what I bought was dictated by what was stocked in the CD stores. Though that was limiting to some extent, there was also a "curating" side to it. I'm not sure exactly how I'd go about getting into classical music today if I had to start from scratch.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Talrum said:


> Hi, i've been lurking here for about a year and have learnt a lot, never posted though, however i'm doing a school paper on attitudes towards classical music and differences in listening habits across different ages, and i would be forever grateful if you would answer some questions i have,
> 
> When did you first hear classical music?
> What got you into classical music?
> ...


I first heard classical music when I was maybe three years old, old enough to remember and appreciate the "pretty tunes" - as would anybody over time.

I got into CM because the way these pieces spoke to me, made a connection. These were pieces by Bach, handel, Mozart and Beethoven (Haydn was yet to be further explored when I was about ten).

No, my friends discover music if it communicates to them - tonal and strong harmony. Pure and simple.

Yes, I discovered CM in a common way. Random listening and school.

CM may be seen as elitist but it is fine arts, well developed arts.

Many of friends do listen to CM but many do not. I agree most overall do not.

The internet is a wonderful way to promote CM by easy access and distribution.


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## brucknerian (Dec 27, 2013)

Talrum said:


> When did you first hear classical music?


Hard to say, since it's been in the family in one form or another right from the beginning. I suppose it would've been either A) hymns sung at church, which were in Western tonal art-music (Romantic) style, or B) my Mum playing Beethoven at the piano while I watched.



Talrum said:


> What got you into classical music?


I loved listening to Mum play the piano. Dad also bought a CD player and would bring home CDs of Chopin, Liszt and Ravel from the library, and I got immediately immersed in the mysterious and intriguing melodies I was hearing. I also remember one particular family friend giving me a classical tape recording which I found interesting.



Talrum said:


> Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?


Definitely. There's much more music and it's much more easily available, thanks to the Internet. Even when the Internet was just coming out, we would still go to the library or the music shop and get whatever was on display. But these days, bands become known without being prominently advertised. I think today's market is much more varied and full of smaller niches, whereas before it was dominated by fewer big bands/groups.



Talrum said:


> Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?


Certainly not uncommon. I've read at least a couple of biographies of musicians of various stripes who say they discovered music from their parents' bringing it home or playing it to them. Family and friends sound like a pretty normal way for people to discover nearly anything of interest.



Talrum said:


> Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?


I think it can, because of the vast body of knowledge required to understand works, especially more modern works, where the ideas and techniques haven't been captured in the public consciousness. For example, I think most people could listen to a Beethoven or Bruckner symphony and have a partial understanding of it, based on film scores and TV ads they may have heard.

But put the average person in front of a Boulez or Stockhausen performance, and I think they're going to be a little confused or non-plussed. Then again, I can't help but notice film scores gradually incorporating more and more modernist influences, whether from the serialist or minimalist traditions.



Talrum said:


> How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?


My guess is, less involuntarily (that is, in situations they're thrown into) and more voluntarily (that is, choosing to listen to it because they're curious/interested). Overall, I think they're listening to more, because they're open to more music in general. But the ratio of classical to pop forms is probably pretty small, and maybe even growing smaller.

All of the above is just a hunch; I have no evidence one way or another.



Talrum said:


> How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?


See my comments above on how music is discovered differently.


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## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

*When did you first hear classical music?*

As a young child. My parents liked the light classics, short works and excerpts for orchestra, select arias, that sort of middlebrow thing, as well as the pop music of the day. As a result, I learned to like the stuff of concert music for as early as I can remember.

*What got you into classical music?*

The influence of high school friends who were into it. One of them was pretty advanced in his tastes and he introduced me to some of his favorites; Beethoven, Mozart and Bartok, among them. One summer evening while rummaging through a batch of unplayed vinyl albums I found in the house, I came across a record of Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony, which I put on the phonograph. By the time it came to an end, I had entered the zone.

*Do you believe adolescents nowadays discover music differently than before?*

Can't help you there. I know nothing about adolescents nowadays, at least beyond what we all had in common; raging hormones. The culture has changed radically since my teens.

*Do you think the way you discovered classical music is a common way?*

More or less. Early exposure helps prepare the ear and mind for it, a good musical program in school probably does, or as in my case, the right friends.

*Do you think the classical music scene can seem elitist and exclusionary?*

Sadly, yes, and in a number of ways. Working class kids especially are less likely to be exposed to it and to be treated with condescension when coming in contact with those who have had more resources. There is a class component to the arts scene as in almost anything else in society. There are many exceptions to this (I hope including myself,) but there is a tendency on the part of sophisticates in any kind of activity to be impatient or patronizing to the less knowledgeable of their fellows. But that's true generally. Personally, I know next to nothing about a lot of things, and some of those who do let me know I'm much the idiot (the kind ones don't.)

*How much classical music do you think adolescents today listen to, compared to previous generations?*

Probably as much, whether that is a lot or a little. My teenager has grown to adulthood a long time ago, so these days I have very little close contact with adolescents. Those I do know seem to have their heads on straight, but then there are those hormones.

*How do you think the Internet has changed the way people discover and listen to music?*

Well, it's been huge for me. I have been involved with classical music for quite a few decades, but in the last several years have been exposed to an exponential increase in access to music, much that I previously hadn't known existed. I imagine that there are a few other people for whom this is also true.


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