How eclectic is your taste in music?

When I was younger, music appeared to be an enormous playground awaiting exploration. 

As I've aged, however, it's become very evident that the size of the playground is somewhat of a moot point, given the fact that my capacity for approaching and appreciating unfamiliar music is not only a significantly limiting factor but deeply ingrained. The origin/foundation of aesthetic preference is mysterious, whether we're talking music, food, poetry, dogs, cars, furniture or sexual partners. I watched a video yesterday by a guy who loves canned mackeral sandwiches. . .  but even more than mackeral sandwiches, he loves the bones, which he sets aside and hordes as a special treat. What's normal to him appears bizarre from my perspective. And no doubt, vice versa. 

I'd like to be able to assert that I'm open to anything but it's simply not true. The fact is, I avoid entire genres. 

I suppose what it comes down to is, I'd simply rather spend my listening time playing stuff I know will give me the maximum of pleasure.

This doesn't mean I've stopped discovering artists I like, however. It just means I tend to look for them in genres I already enjoy.

@mahgister:

Perception, as I see it, has little to do with assigning "value".
Perception is simply utilizing awareness-- noticing what is present. 

On the other hand, "Taste", as I see it, is a spontaneous internal physiological/emotional response to what is perceived.

For example, two people could both perceive the same constituent aspects of a complex wine yet differ in terms of whether it appealed to them or not. In other words, they are noticing the same sensory aspects but are affected differently by them. 

I'd like to better understand what you mean, when you say:

"The musical evolution reflect only the general evolution of an individual, because music is not about "taste" so much , it is about the levels of perception....

There is not so much "taste" in music really, only level of perceptions with some preference ..."

Care to elucidate further??????

mahgister;

Thank you for your response.

When you say:

 "taste exist on ONE level, perception exist on MANY levels...:

do you mean that Consciousness exists at many levels and what we call "taste" (ego-centered "likes and dislikes") exists at one level ?  

When you say:

"I only observe that in ly life at some point i discovered new way to connect to sound and new way to perceive music..",

do you mean that you are regarding music from the perspective of Consciousness (the aspect of you that is not limited by the ego's preferences? )...

...or am I completely misunderstanding you ?