Music and academics might share more harmony than we think; both are beautiful reflections of the psychology behind passion.

What subject teachers teach and what music they listen to might be more connected than we think, and by interviewing teachers about their favorite music, I aim to explore whether their playlists echo the psychological traits tied to their academic passions.

The subject teachers chose to teach often reflect their personality traits, and those same traits are linked to consistent music preferences. Musical Preferences are linked to cognitive styles by D. M. Greenberg, who compared people’s passions and music tastes.

People drawn to STEM fields often score higher on systemizing or finding rules, patterns, and structures. The study calls them “systemizers” or analytical thinkers. Research shows that people who are strong in systemizing tend to prefer structured, complex, instrumental music, including classical, lo-fi, and metal.
Those who enjoy subjects based on stories, culture, and people often score higher on empathy and openness to experience. “Empathizers,” or those who are people-oriented, often teach or are drawn to English or the humanities. Empathy correlates with a preference for mellow, lyrical, and emotional music, including folk, soul, and soft rock.

“Creatives,” openness-driven personalities, or those drawn to art, theatre, or music, usually score high on openness to experience, which strongly predicts a love for diverse and unconventional music. This would include indie, alternative, jazz, and experimental. They’re more likely to listen across genres and value originality over familiarity.

People with interests in movement, activity, coaching, and team sports, known as “Actives,” score higher in extraversion and sensation seeking. Extraversion is consistently linked to a preference for energetic, rhythmic, and danceable music like hip-hop, EDM, pop, and upbeat rock.

Interviews with teachers across STEM, English, the Arts, and PE reveal just that music taste often mirrors the same traits that draw people to certain subjects.

In STEM, Ms. Castillo values life and beauty, favoring mellow music, indie folk, and classic rock. Mr. Flygt, known for patience and curiosity, shares folk and classic rock with students, appreciating storytelling and calm rhythms. Though research predicts STEM minds prefer structured, complex music, both lean toward lyrical, nostalgic sounds that balance their analytical sides.

In English, Mr. Mac tends to be curious and reflective. He pushes his students to explore. He listens to disco, punk, and metal for the emotions they spark. Mr. Laurie, who is known for being observant and poetic, enjoys rock, Afro-beats, and country for its storytelling. As studies suggest, narrative-driven teachers seek out music rich in feeling and lyrics.

In the Arts, Ms. Thompson, once shy, now builds community and dissects film soundtracks, though she prefers podcasts. Ms. Wolf loves to connect emotionally with students and visually when it comes to work and art. She loves 80s dance and love songs. Their eclectic tastes align with research showing creative personalities embrace unconventional listening.

In PE, Mr. Underwood emphasizes humility and service in his teaching and lifestyle, sticking with country as his main genre of tunes. Ms. Anaya, who is loved by her students for her energetic and fun self, listens to many genres, lately favoring Forest Frank. Both show how active, extraverted teachers lean into rhythmic and danceable music.

The data from the interviews both support and complicate the research, revealing patterns while also exposing individual contradictions. As predicted, English and Arts teachers generally reflected the research. Their music choices emphasized storytelling, emotion, and variety, aligning with empathy-driven and openness-driven personalities. Similarly, the PE teachers’ preferences for rhythmic, danceable music matched research on extraversion and sensation-seeking.

However, STEM teachers presented a contradiction—rather than favoring structured, complex, and instrumental music as the research suggested, they leaned toward lyrical and nostalgic genres like folk, indie, and classic rock. This contrast may suggest that while subject interests and music preferences are connected through shared personality traits, music also functions as a balance or outlet for traits less emphasized in their academic fields.

The bond between classroom and playlist is more duet than mirror, and music reflects not only their academic interest but the movements of their lives away from all the chaos of school.