Music Listening Habits and Music Behaviors of Middle and High School Musicians

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore music listening and performance characteristics of middle and high school students. The questions under investigation addressed reasons for liking a favorite piece, time spent listening, media used to listen, ways in which students discovered new music, and the types of music performed as well as the types that students would like to perform. Results indicated that students liked their favorite pieces for musical reasons and reported listening to music roughly 4 hours each day outside of school. Students listened largely through portable devices and streaming technology, and just over half indicated they found new music through the Internet or dedicated apps. Classical, jazz, and rock were the most frequently performed genres, although students indicated greater interest in playing all 11 genres. Overall, the results portray middle and high school students as active consumers and performers of music.