Piano Guidance
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At what age are you most influenced by music?

For men, the most important period for forming musical taste is between the ages of 13 to 16. Men were, on average, aged 14 when their favorite song was released. For women, the most important period is between 11 and 14, with 13 being the most likely age for when their favorite song came out.

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A New York Times analysis of Spotify data has found that the songs we listen to during our teen years set our musical taste as adults. For men, the most important period for forming musical taste is between the ages of 13 to 16. Men were, on average, aged 14 when their favorite song was released. For women, the most important period is between 11 and 14, with 13 being the most likely age for when their favorite song came out. It also found that childhood influences were stronger for women than men and the key years for shaping taste were tied to the end of puberty. The NYT analyzed every Billboard chart-topping song released between 1960 and 2000. Citing Radiohead’s “Creep” as an example, the NYT found the song is the 164th most popular song among 38-year-old men. These men would have been around 14 years old at the time the song was released in 1993, making that selection consistent with the analysis. “Creep” isn’t even in the top 300 songs for those born 10 years earlier or 10 years later. Meanwhile, “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure was released in 1987 and is popular with women aged 41, who would have been 11 at the time of the song’s release.

via The New York Times

The data patterns certainly ring true for me. My favorite songs are Stereophonics’ “Dakota” and the Arctic Monkeys’ “505,” and both came out during my teenage years. I still also listen to Green Day and Linkin Park, which I constantly listened to during high school. (Don’t judge me). It’s also interesting to note that music women and men listened to in their early 20s were found to be only half as influential in deciding adult taste as the songs listened to during teenage years.

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Do musicians lose their hearing faster?

Professional musicians are nearly four times as likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) as the general public. They are also more likely to experience tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

hearinghealthfoundation.org - Musicians - Hearing Health Foundation

Professional musicians are nearly four times as likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) as the general public. They are also more likely to experience tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Hearing damage can affect everyone in the music industry, including backstage crew, front of the house staff, as well as bartenders, waiters, and other staff at bars, nightclubs, and restaurants—anywhere where music may be played loud. Hearing loss can develop from the repeated exposure to loud sounds, according to the British Medical Journal. Over time, loud sound will irreparably damage the sensory hair cells of the inner ear that send sound information to the brain to interpret. There is also evidence that loud sound also disrupts how cells transmit information via synapses, leading to what is termed hidden hearing loss because it’s not easily detected by traditional hearing tests. NIHL from sudden loud sounds, such as gunfire or fireworks, can also occur. NIHL is permanent and most common cause of hearing loss resulting from prolonged exposure to high levels of noise. It is also the only fully preventable cause of hearing loss, which is why protecting our ears and hearing is so important. Research by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that nearly one in four adults exhibits signs of NIHL. Evidence suggests that noisy leisure activities plus the increased use of personal listening devices with headphones contribute to what the World Health Organization has warned is a global public health emergency, with 1.1 billion young people potentially at risk for NIHL.

Learn more from HHF’s Keep Listening prevention campaign.

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