What do young people hear when listening to music? Despite substantial literature addressing children and teenagers’ use and experience of music, little research has focused on their holistic (both intra- and extra-musical) understanding. This article reports on the third stage of a mixed-method nationwide UK enquiry concerning young people’s subjective experiences of music. This stage focused on meanings 10- to 18-year-olds attach to music. Participants from varied socio-demographic and music backgrounds (N = 84) listened to 20 short musical extracts through headphones, to which they gave free written responses. Their reports highlight shared cultural references, and the prevalence of perceived meanings indirectly related to or detached from the original musical source. Individual differences in age and training mediated musical meaning-making: 10- to 12-year-olds were most likely to report induced affect, employ self-reference (including self-in-scenario visualisations), and demonstrate vicarious experience through music. Increases in analytical listening, apparent from c. 15 years of age were primarily training-related. Participants aged 16 and above tended towards evaluative, detached modes of reporting, regardless of musical training level. Findings demonstrate that holistic understanding of music is subject to significant flux across adolescence.
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