closed-earedness en · NOUN
Etymology
From closed-eared + -ness.
Meanings
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(uncountable) A reluctance or aversion to listening to new styles of music.
Children appear to experience phases of 'open-earedness', such as middle childhood, where they tolerate a large amount of musical styles, and 'closed-earedness', such as adolescence, where their preferences are far more constrained.
2011, Ian Cross, Michael Thaut, Susan Hallam, Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology, Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 238:All this research implies that lasting preferences seem likely to be formed at the critical adolescent period, coinciding with a phase of closed-earedness, although they are subject to further development over the lifespan.
2020, Alexandra Lamont, Catherine Loveday, “A New Framework for Understanding Memories and Preference for Music”, in Music & Science, volume 3, Thousand Oaks, C.A.: SAGE Publishing, →DOI, →ISSN:An interesting concept that has gained some momentum over the last twenty years has been that of open and closed-earedness.
2010, John Flohr, Valerie Trollinger, Music in Elementary Education, Hoboken, N.J.: Prentice Hall, →ISBN:In childhood we are 'open-eared' and like lots of different things. In adolescence we have a period of 'closed-earedness', when we pick our allegiances and music is very important.
2018 March 25, James Gillespie, quoting Alexandra Lamont, “Teenage picks: our musical taste set by 14”, in The Times, archived from the original on 06 Jul 2021: