A common extracurricular interest of hackers (compare
{science-fiction fandom}, {oriental food}; see also {filk}). Hackish
folklore has long claimed that musical and programming abilities are
closely related, and there has been at least one large-scale
statistical study that supports this. Hackers, as a rule, like music
and often develop musical appreciation in unusual and interesting
directions. Folk music is very big in hacker circles; so is
electronic music, and the sort of elaborate instrumental jazz/rock
that used to be called `progressive' and isn't recorded much any
more. The hacker's musical range tends to be wide; many can listen
with equal appreciation to (say) Talking Heads, Yes, Gentle Giant,
Pat Metheny, Scott Joplin, Tangerine Dream, Dream Theater, King Sunny
Ade, The Pretenders, Screaming Trees, or the Brandenburg Concerti. It
is also apparently true that hackerdom includes a much higher
concentration of talented amateur musicians than one would expect
from a similar-sized control group of {mundane} types.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {neophilia}]