Survey shows students relate most to country music
Ashley Kidd is a perfect example of how student research is not reserved for upperclassmen.
The Bad Axe freshman displayed her group’s research at the 13th-annual Student Research and Creative Endeavors Exhibit Wednesday in Finch Fieldhouse.
Kidd’s research was a descriptive study of the relationship between music tastes and preferences and self-concept.
“We wanted to see if there’s a relationship between the music people listen to and different parts of their identity,” she said.
Her group administered an online survey to several CMU students, asking them to describe themselves, identify their music preferences and describe how specific songs reflect how they see themselves, she said.
“We sent (the surveys) out after spring break,” said Alyssa Farrell, Grayling freshman and group member.
They worked on their research for about four weeks, Kidd said, and she was surprised by some of the findings.
“Twenty-two percent of people identified with country (music),” she said.
The highest percentage of people surveyed identified with country music over all other genres of music, Kidd said.
“(But country was) the fifth-highest when people rated what genres they like most,” she said.
Classic and progressive rock were the most well-liked genres, the survey found.
“Music is important to listeners because of the emotions and memories it evokes,” Kidd said. “(People) use music to relate to other people and form relationships.”
Constantine freshman Sara Rimer also participated in the music survey.
Rimer was involved in music in high school and said she wants to re-involve herself with music here at CMU.
“If you’re trying to explain a feeling, music conveys more than words,” she said.
