The purpose of this study was to explore musical taste patterns in old age. Having musical tastes, defined as individual preferences for certain musical genres, has been theorised as being a relational tool, something that can be used to negotiate social situations and interpersonal exchanges with others. Taste not only helps to make sense out of the endless array of products available on the cultural menu, but is also through consumption and display a way of signalling group membership, social location, identity and self. These concepts are important throughout the lifecourse, yet relatively unexplored in later life. What are the taste patterns of older adults and how do they compare to the musical preferences of other age groups? To address these questions we analysed data from the United States national Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), a repeated cross-sectional survey, for the years 1982, 1992 and 2002. In each year, musical tastes displayed a positive relationship with age up to 55 years of age. The results indicate that across the three survey years, at older ages there was a negative relationship between tastes and age. We offer explanations for these results using theories from the sociology of culture and social gerontology.

1. After feeding radioactive markers 85Sr and 45Ca for 10 days to weanling and adult rats receiving basal diets all of which contained adequate calcium and phosphorus to support normal growth, the skeletal retention of the markers was compared with that in litter-mates receiving seven different P compounds as dietary supplements so that the P intake was increased 2 to 3½ times. 2. In weanling rats a dietary supplement of KH2PO4 decreased the skeletal retention of 85Sr by some 30% without affecting the retention of 46Ca. In adults on this supplement, the skeletal retention of 85Sr was reduced by over 40% compared with controls on the same basal diet. 3. When the supplement contained Ca as well as P the reduction in skeletal retention of 85Sr in young and adult rats was greater than when no Ca was present in the supplement. 4. It is concluded that there was no experimental evidence to show that supplements of P which also contained Ca induced any Ca deficiency in the rats. 5. In rats receiving P supplements which also contained Ca, the ratio of the skeletal retention of 85Sr, experimental to controls, was 0.45 for weanling rats and 0.52 in adults, 34 weeks old. These ratios were not significantly different for any of the seven supplements used. 6. From comparisons with previous experiments, it is concluded that supplementation with Ca plus P is more promising as a remedial measure for decreasing the uptake of radioactive Sr from the diet than supplementation with Ca alone.