Musical Taste Buds: How and Why We Have Musical Tendencies

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Music is a universal language. All around the world, music exists and lives in many forms and genres. Personally, I have yet to hear a song or composition that I did not thoroughly enjoy. Throughout my life, I have learned my take on music is not the typical one. Most people I know lean towards certain genres and have at least one they avoid completely. Sometimes, it is a certain band, artist, or sound that others find unappealing. I have always wondered why I seem to be so unbiased to music compared to other people I know. Why do so many people tend to limit themselves to only enjoy certain music? For me, enjoying music is about the experience and the feeling presented in a composition. For me, music is, first and foremost, audio art. As an Art major, I can see and understand music as beauty rather than just sounds. This I feel is the difference that allows all music to be enjoyable for me.

It is simple enough to understand the things that make music appealing. The real questions about music are about what makes music different for each listener. Why do people to like and/or dislike songs, sounds, genres, etc.? I value and find beauty in the fact that there are so many different sounds, it is these variances that I think create our musical taste buds. Musical “taste buds” is an expression I use when thinking about a developed preference to music. My musical palate is open, eager, and willing to try something unknown, while others may lean toward tastes with which they are already familiar. One can’t help but wonder whether or not music can be appreciated simply for what it is or are there other factors such as the artist’s life, inspiration, or media that create our varied tastes.

Music is a form of art that exists specificall...

... middle of paper ...

... not consistent with one’s own musical taste buds.

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