What are you listening to?

Text and photos by Quindale Carter

Urban Prep Charter Academy

If aliens landed in Chicago they would wonder what is the strange apparatus covering the ears of so many teens and adults walking down the street. They wear them at bus stops, at work, at the gym and even at school. It would be a strange sight indeed as teens use the headsets attached to MP3 players or other media devices to keep focused and to avoid outside distractions.

Columbia Links decided to see what people were listening to on those ever popular shrunken music boxes, whose popularity and robust sales have fueled the music and electronic gadget industries.

Ipsos, the think-tank researcher, showed that 20 percent of those older than 12 had an MP3 player in 2006, up from 11 percent in 2003. Portable audio sales rose 20 percent to $6.34 billion in 2006, thanks mainly to a 31 percent surge in headphone MP3 player sales of $5.56 billion, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

In 2006, MP3 players accounted for 88 percent of portable audio sales, compared with 57 percent in 2004. The association forecast MP3 players would account for 90 percent of portable audio sales in 2007.

Teens with loads of discretionary income are some of the biggest consumers to embrace digital audio.

In one of its 2008 editions of “Taking Stock With Teens,” Piper Jaffray found that 86 percent of teenagers who had an MP3 player had an iPod, up from 84 percent in the fall of 2007.

Though music downloads have dropped over the past two years, they remain a big revenue source for the industry. Those millions of downloads have lined companies pockets, expecting to bring in $4.8 billion by 2012 and surpass compact disc sales, according to Forrester Research.

Hwever, a word of caution: While covering this story, a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that one in five U.S. teens has hearing loss, probably because of the use of earbuds, doctors say.

So let’s get down to the big question that the aliens may be interested in finding out. What are people listening to through those plugs on their ears? Here is a sampling from person-on-the-street interviews.

Lisa Claudio, 39

Chicago, South Side

Favorite genre: Hip-hop and old school rap

Favorite artist: Twista and Isley Brothers

Music notes: Downloads tunes three times a day to her iPod, but really isn’t too much of a fan of the Internet

Interesting new artist: Soulja Boy

Tyler Beck, 18

Chicago, South Side

Favorite genre: R&B

Favorite artist: John Legend

Music notes: Listens to his iPod for most of the day, but still manages to get his work done

Interesting new artist: Isn’t interested in any new artists at this moment

Sermaine Wilson

Chicago, South Side

Favorite genre: No favorite in particular

Favorite artist: Young Jeezy and Rick Ross

Music notes: Starts off and end his day listening to his MP3 player, only downloads music that catches his attention

Interesting new artist: B.o.B.

Xavier Cordova, 25

Chicago, North Side

Favorite genre: Alternative rock

Favorite artist: LMFAO

Music notes: Often listens to his iPod every other day when he steps out the house; downloads music weekly whenever something new is out

Interesting new artist: Drake

Tatiana Young, 28

Russia

Favorite genre: Russian pop and minimal techno

Favorite artist: Sveta

Music notes: Often listens to her MP3 player most of the day; downloads as many as two tracks a week

Interesting new artist: Doesn’t really care about what’s new or not, as long as it turns her on

Joshua Davis, 21

Chicago, South Side

Favorite genre: Hip-hop

Favorite artist: Lil Wayne

Music notes: Listens to his MP3 player at least five days a week and during his spare time; downloads music at least two times a week

Interesting new artist: Drake

Emily Gonzalez, 20

Chicago, North Side

Favorite genre: Enjoys all types of music

Favorite artist: Lil Wayne

Music notes: Listens to her iPod nearly every day; doesn’t download music but gets it via compact discs

Interesting new artist: Drake

Chris Jamfi, 23

Chicago, formerly of Ghana, Africa

Favorite genre: Rap

Favorite artist: Enjoys music by anyone that he hears

Music notes: Downloads 1,300 songs every three to six months

Interesting new artist: Drake

Andrew Pitts, 18

Chicago, South Side

Favorite genre: Hip-hop and rap

Favorite artist: Jay-Z

Music notes: Listens to his iPod every day, and even during school hours; downloads at least 20 songs a week

Interesting new artist: Waka Flocka

Diamond Bouldin, 36

Atlanta

Favorite genre: Gospel

Favorite artist: Smokie Norful

Music notes: Listens to her iPod every day, but not during class time

Interesting new artist: Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary