Your mission, if you decide to accept it...

[King Imp]

I am trying to find any legit study on what experts feel is the age range that children/young adults are most influenced by music. So far I'm not coming up with anything concrete. I can't narrow the words in my search enough and I'm coming up with all kinds of links that have nothing to do with what I'm looking for.

I know this is a strange request and I don't expect people to go nuts looking (if at all), but if by chance you come across something after a short search it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

[LaBoob]

Is there a way to measure influence? Is there one aspect of influence that you're interested in? Something more specific? Like increase in brain activity, development of musical talent, or a development of musical tastes?

[jonyrotn]

I once heard, the womb..Seriously..

[King Imp]

Is there a way to measure influence? Is there one aspect of influence that you're interested in? Something more specific? Like increase in brain activity, development of musical talent, or a development of musical tastes?


I was thinking more along the lines when people start to truly take notice and appreciate what they are hearing. Babies flailing their arms and legs like someone with an uncontrolable twitch because they hear a song doesn't really count to me.

So, I'd say musical tastes to answer your question.

[Death Metal Moe]

Choose.

The line used the word "choose."

[pladd]

I was thinking more along the lines when people start to truly take notice and appreciate what they are hearing. Babies flailing their arms and legs like someone with an uncontrolable twitch because they hear a song doesn't really count to me.

So, I'd say musical tastes to answer your question.

Effects of Exposure to Classical Music on the Musical Preferences of Preschool Children, by J. Craig Peery and Irene W. Peery © 1986 MENC: The National Association for Music Education.
Abstract
Musical preferences of 45 preschool children (mean age 4 years, 7 months) were assessed in a short-range longitudinal study incorporating a pre- and posttest experimental design. Six classical and two popular pieces were evaluated. All children liked all the pieces during the pretest. During the 10 months that elapsed between pre- and posttesting, an experimental group (n = 21) received weekly 45-min classes in appreciation of classical music during which they listened to classical music, sang classical themes, played musical games, learned the names and sounds of the instruments of the orchestra, and so on. Posttest results indicate the experimental group preferred the classical selections significantly more than the control group. The control group experienced a decline in preference for the classical pieces during the 10-month interval. The experimental group maintained a liking for classical pieces used in the study with no pretest-posttest differences. The hypotheses that repetition, modeling, and social reinforcement can influence musical preference, proposed in research with older children, are basically supported. All groups liked popular music. There were no significant pretest-posttest differences or decreases in liking for popular music.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While this may not be exactly what you are looking for it does propose the idea that it may be repetition and familiarity that dictates musical taste

[King Imp]

Effects of Exposure to Classical Music on the Musical Preferences of Preschool Children, by J. Craig Peery and Irene W. Peery © 1986 MENC: The National Association for Music Education.
Abstract
Musical preferences of 45 preschool children (mean age 4 years, 7 months) were assessed in a short-range longitudinal study incorporating a pre- and posttest experimental design. Six classical and two popular pieces were evaluated. All children liked all the pieces during the pretest. During the 10 months that elapsed between pre- and posttesting, an experimental group (n = 21) received weekly 45-min classes in appreciation of classical music during which they listened to classical music, sang classical themes, played musical games, learned the names and sounds of the instruments of the orchestra, and so on. Posttest results indicate the experimental group preferred the classical selections significantly more than the control group. The control group experienced a decline in preference for the classical pieces during the 10-month interval. The experimental group maintained a liking for classical pieces used in the study with no pretest-posttest differences. The hypotheses that repetition, modeling, and social reinforcement can influence musical preference, proposed in research with older children, are basically supported. All groups liked popular music. There were no significant pretest-posttest differences or decreases in liking for popular music.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While this may not be exactly what you are looking for it does propose the idea that it may be repetition and familiarity that dictates musical taste

Interesting. That's younger than I would have expected. I was thinking more in the 10-20 range.