Children not listening to music? A lost culture?

[Harrison]

I have noticed teenagers today don't seem to explore and listen to music like we did growing up.

In the 80's we would listen to the Sunday Top 40 charts and tape all the songs we liked. Watch Top of the Pops every Thursday night. And we would spend ages on a Saturday in the record stores looking through and discovering new albums and artists. But our parents would also be playing music all the time at home and in the car, even if it was just the radio. It's why I liked the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Abba and many others from before I was born.

I'm always listening to music. At home, in the car, walking the dog. My son however never really listens to any music. We have an Amazon Echo in every room of the house, including his, linked to Spotify to he could listen to almost anything, but instead says the only music he likes is the background music in games. Never really that interested in music genres or specific songs or artists. He has headphones and I gave him my better older Sennheiser BT ones when I bought new ones, but he hardly ever uses them. At his age I had already bought my first HiFi.

Anyone else with children finding the same thing?

Half the problem ironically is everything being instantly on demand, and the lack of dedicated stores for music these days. It used to be a social thing. You would meet up with friends and go into the record store, chat and discuss music and recommend things to each other. Lending albums or making tape copies for them. I discovered a lot of the music I like this way. Kids today have lost that whole culture.

Actually having to buy an album (or video game or film) made you take it home and actually listen to it. Look at the album cover and the inlay and spend some time actually listening. Now they just skip through songs after a few seconds because they have become disgardable. And album art is almost a dead artform too.

I know kids do listen to music. A lot have huge headphones on all the time being antisocial. But what are they listening to? Generic manufactured pop like Swift it would seem looking at listening figures. Very sad.

I did try my best with my son. He was subjected to rock, blues, metal, 80's music in the car every day since a baby. And he does secretly like some of it. AC/DC and Queen especially. But that hasn't made him explore himself. Just turning 14 is he maybe still not quite into music? I was definitely younger, but at school all my friends were really into metal, rock, 80s, New Wave, Punk and all had guitars and learning to play. That doesn't seem such a think now either.

We give our son music lessons from an early age too as my wife is very musical, being able to play Saxophone, Flute, Oboe etc.. He started with Violin and persevered for a few years before his tutor said he wasn't really that interested. We aid he could give it up but had to pick another instrument to try as he is naturally talented musically, just not that interested. He can read music and sing the tune just looking at the sheet music f.ex. He picked the piano and had lessons with that for some time, but after the first year in secondary school asked to give up. At least he had the opportunity, and has come away able to read music, and can play to some level on violin and piano, so has some skills for later in life if he wishes.

And when we die, like vintage video games, is there the danger older music is going to be discarded and no longer really listened too either? You go to concerts and it's mainly people over 30.

There is hope with Youtube and so many cover bands and music reviewers exploring older music and hopefully introducing it to their followers. I hope anyway. Maybe that is the new alternative to the record store and friend recommendations.

[Stephen Coates]

I've never been much of a music enthusiast so if other people also aren't, I understand where they're coming from.

I do like music, its just not something I tend to talk about or go out of my way to find new stuff etc.

I used to watch Top of the Pops, but always found chart shows on the radio boring. I always liked our local stations but they had a variety of content back in those days, which included a variety of music, as opposed to just what was popular this week.

I have been watching old episodes of Top of the Pops on BBC 4 though recently. Its funny to think that Steps and S Club 7 are now nearly 30 years ago.

I've never really been able to play instruments. I had a go at the recorder at school (we all had to have a go). Never got the hang of it. I also had a go at learning piano, but I wasn't very good at it and never got the hang of it. I certainly couldn't (and still can't) read music. This is despite my Dad's side of the family being fairly musical. The one thing I could do though, was sing. I used to like singing hymns in assembly at school etc. In fact, I was once invited to join the church choir (I didn't due to lack of interest). But once my voice broke I couldn't do it any more.

I'm not sure if the number of people using headphones is really any different to what it was 15 years ago. Its just that modern smartphones often don't have headphone sockets, so large over-ear designs are far more practical for wireless use than in ear ones.

[Harrison]

I'm not that musical either. Also has to try the recorder at school and we had keyboards at home, but wasn't musically minded. All my friend took up guitar or the drums and I jussi used to enjoy listening to them play. Annoying as late when I started hang to edit and make videos professionally I couldn't just create some music to go with it. A work colleague would watch the video, note the timings or transitions and length, go away and come back the next day with some music he had composed over night that fit perfectly. How? That was amazing to me.

That's what is annoying with my son because he is musically talented if he tries. Oh well.

Really not sure about the big headphones. I have some but would never wear them when out. So many times once nearly driven into someone who can't hear and just steps into the road.