Take a minute and look at what type of music you listen to. Now think about what kind of person you are. Would you say you are outgoing or introverted? The type of music you listen to can potentially tell you the type of person you are. 

     Many of us tie music into our daily routines, which can have a greater impact on our character development than we think. 

     “Based on what a person listens to, that is one of the good ways to judge a person on how they are,” freshman Justin Bello said. 

     When looking into the different types of genres within the music industry, many artists have a specific target audience.

      According to researcher Adrian North from Heriot-Watt University, “People who were empathizers were also more likely to enjoy mellow but emotionally-rich contemporary music, which ranged from indie-rock to country to folk. The systemizers, however, were more likely to prefer complex, intense, energetic music that was upbeat and positive.”

     “I think music can say a lot about people depending on what they like. It can show a side of someone that they don’t usually show,” senior Alex Huntley said.

     A person’s interest in music can determine how they present themselves and what they are interested in just from listening to a certain genre. 

     “People could make accurate judgments about an individual’s levels of extraversion, creativity, and open-mindedness after listening to 10 of their favorite songs,” psychologist Jason Rentfrow and Sam Gosling from the University of Texas said in a 2003 research study.

      As people continue to discover and develop their own music style, musical individuality becomes more important to meeting and understanding someone. 

     “I would say rap has the most outgoing listeners just because of all the things they talk about,” senior Sky Brown said. 

     Genres including rap, country, and pop have the most extroverted listeners, whereas classical, indie, and heavy metal tend to cater toward more introverted audiences according to Kendra Cherry from VerywellMind.

     In some cases, people use music to help them develop the personality traits they have.

     “Middle school was when I started listening to music that I liked and it made me more confident as a person,” Brown said. 

     Being able to have a chosen music preference has made it easier for  people to feel more comfortable and reach personal growth in personality. 

     “When I started listening to more alternative music, it gave me sort of a different perspective on things,” Bello said. 

       Although it can be difficult for people to share and open up about their feelings, music has been an outlet for many people as it can help others understand one’s personality. 

      Having a specific music style or preference can allow for a more defined personality, as it reveals the way a person reacts to certain situations as well as how they may feel towards others. 

     “My music style is very distinct, and I feel like based on what you listen to, it is easy to picture what a person looks like or how they act,” Huntley said.