GENRE AND PERSONALITY
To understand musical identities, let's take a look at what each genre tells us about our personalities!
What does a genre tell you about a person? Is it accurate from individual to individual? Is it true to any degree? These are questions that are necessary to ask when understanding how your favorite genres illustrate images and notions about your identity. Music can be understood as an extension of ones self. It is the representation of one's internal self through an external medium of sound, tone, and rhythm. How we feel, think, and act can be illustrated through the music we play on a day-to-day basis.
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There are two types of cognitive processes involved in the ways in which we process music. Empathizing versus systemizing. What is the difference?
Empathizers are individuals who hold the emotional intelligence/ capability of relating to the lyrics or flow of a song. Usually, those who are empathizers tend to enjoy emotionally-rich genres such as folk, country, or indie music. Traditionally, these individuals hold careers in the creative arts or professions catered towards helping others.
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Systemizing individuals tend to gravitate towards the math and sciences of life that hold an emphasis on the physical structures of music. These individuals are typically fans of classical, jazz, and world music that is typically upbeat, energetic, and intense in delivery.
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Now, these personality traits are not entirely rigid as everyone has their own curated genres that interest them! For example, I find myself relating to a wide variety of music genres such as indie, folk, pop, rock, alternative, etc., but each for a specific reason. Just because I connect with a certain genre, doesn't mean that any one genre entirely encapsulates who I am as a person. Yet, simultaneously, it doesn't not say anything.
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Let's get into a few examples!
FOLK
Folk music encompasses certain ideals, morals, outlooks, and lifestyles. Originating from the roots of community and family, folk music's purpose is to unite individuals of similar likes and experiences. Often times, individuals who enjoy folk music are seen as honest, hardworking, and outgoing individuals!
POP
Pop music is short for "popular" music, holding the most well-known and liked artists! Avid listeners of pop music are typically understood as extroverted, conventional, and honest in nature. Yet, as much as these individuals are hard-working and hold high self esteems, they are typically less creative.
RAP/ HIP-HOP
Rap and Hip-Hop enthusiasts hold high-self esteems and are traditionally more outgoing! Rap/ Hip-Hop lovers hold many similarities to Pop fans as both genres audiences are comprised of social butterflies. There is a strong sense of self found within this genre as these individuals are often secure with themselves and their place in this world.
INDIE
Indie enthusiasts are well-known introverts and are intellectually creative! Those who enjoy Indie music are understood as being less gentle than music-lovers from other genres. Typically, these fans hold lower self-esteems and are quite anxious. This plays hand-in-hand with the aesthetic and style of what encapsulates Indie music's angsty nature.
