What your music says about you

Ever wonder how you can tell another person's (say, a prospective employee or a potential romance) character without seeking out his network of friends or launching a background check?

I came across a very interesting British Academy-funded study that spots links between certain musical tastes and personal lifestyles. According to this new University of Leicester study, you can actually kick off the getting-to-know-you-process by poking your nose into his CD collection.

Here, in brief, are the findings:

• Fans of musicals have the longest relationships.

• Fans of opera are most likely to have a PhD.

• Fans of blues are the biggest smokers.

• Fans of dance/house and DJ-based music take the most vacations and holidays.

• Fans of indie music are the most environmentally conscious.

• Fans of hip-hop are most likely to have experienced arrest.

And here's more: dance and hip-hop enthusiasts (their sparkly, shimmering "crucifix" bling-blings notwithstanding, perhaps) are least likely to be religious. The classical music and opera fans have lifestyles that suggest a middle and upper class status. And seven percent of disco fanatics are, take note, retirees.

In terms of dining and eating habits, fans of classical music, opera and jazz tend to spend rather more money on food and prefer to drink wine to a greater extent, than fans of other musical styles.

Other points that should pique your interest include that readers of broadsheet newspapers are more inclined to classical and rock music, as compared to readers of the tabloids, who would go for pop and dance music.

Acknowledging that a bulk of his respondents came from the UK, this study's author, a psychologist and professor named Dr. Adrian North, is keen on extending his research worldwide. He's reportedly looking for 10,000 people more from all over the world to take part in an online survey, www.musicaltastetest.com, and state their top preference/s from over 50 musical styles. The results of a questionnaire that includes queries about "living arrangements, political and moral beliefs, travel, personal finances, education, employment, health, media preferences and leisure time interests," will soon see print on the journal on music psychology.

Dr. North said, "Although we know a lot about musical preference, www.musicaltastetest.com is the largest ever academic survey of who likes what. Nothing on this scale has ever been attempted before."

He said that his reason for conducting the online survey is because very few studies have been undertaken on how people's age, sex, socioeconomic status, and personality actually find some connection to the music they enjoy listening to. "Musicaltastetest.com aims to paint the first worldwide picture of who likes what."

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Speaking of music, just learned from an ASEAN Summit attendee that while some locals did not enjoy Junior Kilat's music during a culminating party, the reggae band was, ironically, such a hit among foreigners, especially foreign journalists. Now, what does that say of Junior Kilat's music? Exotic or world-class?