Classical music = intelligent?

[WZOLL]

What genres of music would you say intelligent people listen to and vice versa?

[TimFox]

Intelligent people like me listen to many kinds of music.
It's easier to identify the types of music to which lesser-intelligent people listen.

[Joule Thief]

It's easier to identify the types of music to which lesser-intelligent people listen.

2 giveaways

+40db bass boost and spittle all over the mics

[continuo]

Check this:  http://musicthatmakesyoudumb.virgil.gr/   

[Halcyon]

Check this:  http://musicthatmakesyoudumb.virgil.gr/   

Pretty much mimics my own thoughts on certain genres.

[Synthetase]

Really?

This question reminds me of a Dara Ó Briain bit:

"Music snobbery is the worst kind of snobbery. 'Oh, you like those noises,? those sounds, in your ear? Do you like them? They’re the wrong sounds. You should like these sounds.' "

[SL4P]

It's easier to identify the types of music to which lesser-intelligent people listen.

i think both positions give away far too much of the individual's expectations or bias.
Music or other soundscapes - provide whatever the listener wants it to provide in the circumstances.

This definitely falls into the same category as digital, vinyl, oxygen-free, 6-way, infinite baffle systems with 25kw PMPO drivers, playing from an iPod - running from a LiPo battery pack.

[Marco]

IME classical music is more of a class thing than an intelligence one, of course intelligent people see the value in networking and the benefit of obscure in-crowd knowledge/experience for doing so (to a large extent this isn't even conscious).

In my days at a technical college when such pressures were largely absent I'd say metal, dance and electronic music were more popular with the higher IQ crowd.

[tszaboo]

Check this:  http://musicthatmakesyoudumb.virgil.gr/   

SAT... That is like american high school graduation whatever.
So you think a teenage american has a broad knoledge of music, and can make totally unbiased decision what music to listen to. They have no bias due to the social pressure whatsoever.
And they actually know what classical music is. You know like pointing on the timeline, which century classical is.

[Howardlong]

I also think it might depend to some extent what side of the instrument you're at.

There is (apparently) some technically astounding jazz, but to listen to it just doesn't float my boat although I can see there's a skill to play it.

I am predominantly a blues sax player for my sins with plenty of improv, and I am pretty sure my neighbours don't have a better or worse IQ as a result. Well they never speak to me anyway, so how would I know? 

[continuo]

So you think a teenage american has a broad knoledge of music, and can make totally unbiased decision what music to listen to. They have no bias due to the social pressure whatsoever.

No, I thought it was funny. Don't take that site too serious. Btw... Check out the "Booksthatmakeyoudumb" link at the bottom 

And they actually know what classical music is. You know like pointing on the timeline, which century classical is.

We did Prokovjews "Peter and the wolf", Smetanas "The Moldau" and Mussorgskis "Pictures at an Exhibition" during elementary school in musical class, probably more, but these are the pieces I remember. US shouldn't be to different 

[edy]

I don't think the type of music has anything to do with making you intelligent or not. Some say classical music (certain composers) use very "mathematically pleasing" note progressions and rhythms but when I listen to classical music I am not thinking math at all. I don't think what you hear is going to influence your ability to perform math or not, and has no impact on your "intelligence". As well, I don't think "intelligent" people prefer any type of music over another.

On the other hand, performance of music can stimulate your hand-eye coordination, concentration, pattern recognition and other mental faculties to give your brain some exercise. Perhaps that will translate to performance in other "intelligence"-related areas. I have played keyboards from a young age and began MIDI sequencing over 2 decades ago! (It's hard to believe). Perhaps my affinity to electronic music is because it was the best I could do with computers and keyboards... Not because the music makes you intelligent, but because you need to have some computer skills to use the equipment needed to make the music. Is it "selection" for intelligence to be able to perform certain music? Is it that classical music is often the first type of music that one is typically taught?

I would argue that Jazz and certain other improvisational genres are much more complex than the very predictable classical music patterns, and most of this musical style did not come from high-brow elitist Ivy-league type people you would equate with "intelligence" or money. Perhaps people who listen to Jazz are able to afford the tickets to attend the concerts, or to attend classical music symphonies. Perhaps the "intelligent" or "rich" (more like it) people are often the benefactors (as was also in the past days of classical music) and funded many poor starving artists who had talent to compose but could not afford to live unless hired by some duke, or king, or bishop, or other head of state to compose music for the well-off for entertainment purposes.

So who is the "intelligent" one? Those who are listening to it and paying for it to be created? Or the artists who otherwise can't scrape two pennies together but have an emotional musical "intelligence" and creativity that goes far beyond?

[Deathwish]

It's easier to identify the types of music to which lesser-intelligent people listen.

2 giveaways

+40db bass boost and spittle all over the mics

you missed out the continous "what did ya say" from deafness at being ear bashed all the time and the vacant spaced out look of the "I think i headbutted the wall too many times" crew

[Brumby]

Where do people with eclectic tastes fit?

[SL4P]

... whoa there!...
I know you've put this in quotes... but-

""...So who is the "intelligent" one? Those who are listening to it and paying for it to be created? Or the artists who otherwise can't scrape two pennies together but have an emotional musical "intelligence" and creativity that goes far beyond?""

Are we equating intelligence to wealth or class here... that is precisely the problem that has brought the world's communities  to their knees in the current century.

[iampoor]

I know alot of intelligent people that prefer Progressive rock/metal and extreme metal... 
I have generally found that "intelligent" people tend to like music with more going on...not just pop patterns. Of curse, this might also come from the fact that I am am very involved in the music scene in general.
IE

When I think of mathematical music however, I think of Math rock/metal, not classic music. Here is an example. 

https://youtu.be/8d5SCH0Umbs

[edy]

My point is that intelligence or higher than average aptitude may be very specific to certain areas for some people and may be also influenced by opportunities to develop those areas based on the environment in which they are raised (which affluence can certainly influence as well). The reason I put "intelligence" in quotes is because there are streams of thought that there are several types of intelligence as per the definition :

Intelligence has been defined in many different ways including one's capacity for logic, abstract thought, understanding, self-awareness, communication, learning, emotional knowledge, memory, planning, creativity and problem solving.

[sleemanj]

I'd like to think I'm above average intelligence, well, I used to be, every year the little grey cells get littler, but anyway, I'll listen to most stuff, except for modern pop music from the late 90s onwards, the highly manufactured stuff... oh, and no ICP

Not that music from "my generation" 70s, 80s and early 90s wasn't necessarily manufactured too, but at least they didn't have autotune.

My car SD card has mixture of mp3s including Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Pink Martini, the Puppini Sisters, Pink Floyd, Air, Grateful Dead, Camel, Madonna, Jesca Hoop, Joanna Newsom, Cloudboy, Blondie, Kate Bush, Bernard Cribbens, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and the Wombles theme from Mike Batt is in there somewhere too.

[Rick Law]

It is the discipline and the will.  Playing violin is a good bit more difficult than humming a song.  It requires discipline, practice, and initiative.

Intelligence is by birth, it is the hardware.  Smart is how you use that intelligence.  I have seen a lot of intelligent people doing dumb things, but smart one make good use of the talent they are blessed with.

So, it may not be the music per-se, but certain the attribute gained by practicing the music appears to help.  Perhaps the so called Mozart effect is real, perhaps not.  You have one chance of growing up.  You can't turn back.  Would you want your best shot for your future or do you want your future shot?

Since "a long-dead Austrian composer" isn't good enough for some, try an Italian.

If giving up Angry Bird but instead yet another round of Paganini Violin Concerto #1, are you driven to do it?  Those who are driven enough to do it again and again to improve and improve, in all probability, are more driven to success.

Luck tends to favor the well prepared.


Scientific Americans, "Fact or Fiction?: Babies Exposed to Classical Music End Up Smarter"  September 2007
Rather than passively listening to music, Rauscher advocates putting an instrument into the hands of a youngster to raise intelligence. She cites a 1997 University of California, Los Angeles, study that found, among 25,000 students, those who had spent time involved in a musical pursuit tested higher on SATs and reading proficiency exams than those with no instruction in music.
...
...
Chabris says the real danger isn't in this questionable marketing, but in parents shirking roles they are evolutionarily meant to serve. "It takes away from other kinds of interaction that might be beneficial for children," such as playing with them and keeping them engaged via social activity. That is the key to a truly intelligent child, not the symphonies of a long-dead Austrian composer.

[miguelvp]

What I've heard is that music with lyrics distract you because you start to sing along or at least you pay attention to the  words, taking away concentration on the task at hand.

Classical does not have words, so it doesn't affect your attention to the task at hand that much.

Myself I rather have no music if trying to figure out a complicated task that requires concentration. For tasks that don't require concentration well, I like Bowie, Lou Reed, Ramones, and the like. On the Spanish side I like Joaquin Sabina, but that take your concentration away if you know the language.

Andres Segovia is my favourite for working (classical guitar).
Paco de Lucia 2nd because he sometimes has lyrics.

Both rest in peace.

[German_EE]

It is an interesting question that has been posed. I like to think of myself as intelligent and my musical tastes are very broad, everything from Enya to Motorhead (R.I.P. Lemmy) and Tangerine Dream to Vivaldi but looking at my iPod there is no rap on there.

However................

I once watched a movie with Jack Nicholson in it called 'Wolf' where he played a music executive about my age who dealt with rap bands. He described rap as "poetry" and I think he was right, rap is 21st Century poetry that happens to be spoken to music, it just isn't my thing. As for classical music having a class problem I invite you to consider the choirs formed by the various miners groups in Wales. Working class to a man they are/were quite happy to sing works by Bizet and Handel plus anything else that has a good tune.

[Deathwish]

I have all sorts, personally I like floyd as well as a lot of funk and soul. However  I also like to wind up the volume on the bloodhound gang albums till the glass rattles, usually just to annoy the neighbors into believing there is a nut job living next door.

[Galenbo]

What genres of music would you say intelligent people listen to and vice versa?

Nothing more stupid than only listening to a prechewed, defined by others, "class" of music.
Number two: Very stupid also to search a correlation between those 2 things.

[Mechanical Menace]

I'd personally say the broader someone's taste in music is the more intelligent they are likely to be. I'd also say someone's willingness to admit to also liking the embarrassing pop tracks in their playlist is also generally sign that person has a little more going on between the ears.

Also in my experience those who can play one instrument extremely well are generally less intelligent than the Jack of all trades who can play multiple instruments to a decent level and pick up almost any instrument and play it to a passable standard in a few hours. Would love to hear others thoughts and experiences on that.

As for classical music having a class problem I invite you to consider the choirs formed by the various miners groups in Wales. Working class to a man they are/were quite happy to sing works by Bizet and Handel plus anything else that has a good tune.

Or the Brass Bands from Northern England. My school wind band was lucky enough to play with the famous Black Dyke Mills Band on multiple occasions and while there was no reverse snobbery going on the majority of both were working to lower middle class and we all seemed to love playing everything from Prokofiev to Europe...

[German_EE]

"I'd also say someone's willingness to admit to also liking the embarrassing pop tracks in their playlist is also generally sign that person has a little more going on between the ears."

Let's see:

Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey
From Russia With Love - Matt Monroe
If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot
King of the Road - Roger Miller
Little Willy - The Sweet (the first record I ever bought)
Magic - Olivia Newton-John
The Great Pretender - Freddy Mercury
Rollercoaster - B*Witched

That's from the miscellaneous folder on my iPod, there are others but I want to preserve SOME of my reputation