New York, NY [November 28, 2018]: : The best time for parents to influence their children’s future music taste is before age 10, according to new research by global music streaming service Deezer. The research also reveals that there is a golden period for educating kids on different genres and broadening their preferences later in life.
Deezer combined a survey of 2,000 American parents with children under 18 with a literature review by Dr Hauke Egermann from the Department of Music at the University of York. In the survey, 82% of parents report their children react most positively to hearing new music before the age of 10. The literature review conducted by Dr Egermann’s supports these findings and shows that the prime age to influence children’s future music tastes is between eight and ten.
After the age of 10, children become less receptive to liking unfamiliar genres. Just 11% of parents with teenage children reported positive responses when playing their favorite music to their kids, even though 22% of respondents wanted their kids to start liking their music between 11-15 years old.
Deezer’s study also shows that the vast majority of parents have a strong desire to influence their kids’ musical taste. Seven in ten respondents (75%) try to get their children to enjoy their favorite songs, while a whopping 85% of polled parents believe it’s important to broaden their child’s musical horizons. A third of respondents (34%) have played their children music they consider to be culturally important. According to Dr Egermann, this can be beneficial for children, as exposure to a larger variety of music is linked by prior academic study to positive social outcomes and adaptation later in life.
While just over half of parents (51%) choose to play their children music that reminds them of their own childhood, dads (82%) want their children to appreciate ‘their’ music more than moms (69%). Dads also see better responses than moms with 62% reporting that their kids loved the music they shared, compared to 47% of moms who in some cases said their children made faces, rolled their eyes, plugged their ears or even fell asleep!
Parents use a variety of tactics to influence their kids music tastes. These include playing songs in the car ‘because they can’t escape’, or dancing to make tracks more fun. In addition, 56% have taken their child to a live music event such as a concert, gig or festival, with 15% considering it the perfect occasion to help their children discover new music.
Sadly, heavy metal fans may struggle to influence their kids with this genre, as 18% say their children found it the most challenging to accept and reported negative reactions. Pop and Kids were the easiest genres for kids to get into (95% positive reaction), followed by dance (92%), christian (92%) and hip hop (91%).
Aurélien Hérault, Deezer’s Chief Research & Data Officer says: “It’s amazing to see an overwhelming majority of parents share their favorite songs with their children. Good music may transcend time, but as a parent, I know that seeing your kids appreciate a song you love brings you closer together. There’s no more excuses, streaming is providing easy access to music across every genre, so you can make sure your children will truly benefit from early exposure to a wider range of songs and genres.”
Dr Hauke Egermann, University of York, says: “Children have an ‘openness’ to new music, and this means parents have an important role to play in developing the music tastes of their kids. However, time is of the essence, as parental influence is most likely to be effective during the critical time period before age 10, when puberty begins. During adolescence, children tend to gravitate away from their parents’ choices and are more influenced by their peers. By playing children a variety of genres before this critical period, the research on familiarization suggests they will enjoy lots of different types of music as adults. The benefits of having a wider taste in music include the ability to use music to manage their emotions, socialise and bond with others more easily, as well to have a better understanding of other cultures.”
To celebrate these findings, Deezer editors have created a playlist that features classic tracks from a whole range of music genres to give parents an invaluable starting point to enjoy some of the most iconic songs and bands in music. You can access the ‘Childhood Tunes’ playlist here deezer-us.lnk.to/childhood.
Deezer’s Family plan provides six profiles with one login, helping you discover music for everyone. Head to www.deezer.com to discover more.
Dr Hauke Egermann’s literary review is available to view here.
