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What Shapes Our Musical Taste?

Why does one person鈥檚 heavenly music sound like boring noise to another? Is it all down to what we hear growing up, or are other factors at play?

What sounds heavenly to one person might sound like boring noise to another - but why are our musical preferences so different? Is it all down to what we hear growing up, or are other factors at play?

CrowdScience listener and music lover Jocelyne from Canada wants to know why she has a different song for every mood, and why she likes different music from her friends and family.
Meanwhile in Italy, composer Elisabetta Brusa asks us whether the rules of harmony align with the laws of science, and should therefore not be broken.

We talk to both musicians and neuroscientists to explore the truth about harmony and discord. We find out how age, personality and experience all affect whether we find certain songs pleasing or offensive, and learn why the search for the true universals of music pleasure is a race against time.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Cathy Edwards

(Image: A couple laying in the grass listening to music on headphones. Credit: Getty Images)

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 18 Jun 2018 14:32GMT

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Broadcasts

  • Fri 15 Jun 2018 19:32GMT
  • Sat 16 Jun 2018 23:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Jun 2018 04:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Jun 2018 06:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Jun 2018 10:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Jun 2018 14:32GMT

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