"I am interested in the ways in which people consume music -- what are they doing with it?" said Dr Marsh.

"Walking through Victoria Park in Leicester you see lots of people listening to their iPods seemingly caught up in their own private worlds."

"People devote hours and hours to music, often having daily or weekly listening rituals that they follow."

"People are starting to identify ‘canons’ of material from popular culture: resources which are worth returning to, again and again, for enjoyment, yes, but also to help people ‘think things through’."

"They are also locating ‘authoritative communities’ -- sometimes virtual communities: groups of people whose views they trust, who gather around music, bands, TV programmes or film-sites."

"Not just to talk about music, TV or film, but to reflect on how their listening and viewing habits inform their living and help them develop their philosophical, religious, political or ethical commitments."

The music listening survey is also being used across America, and the conclusions will be used to write a book-length study later this year.

Dr Marsh will deliver a lecture on on his research entitled ‘Adventures in Affective Space: The Reconstruction of Piety in an Age of Entertainment’ on Friday 7 May 2010 at the University of Leicester.