To say that formerly my musical experience was lacking would have been a serious understatement. Although in every other area I led a quite happy childhood, musically you could say I was seriously deprived.

I didn’t even know what The Beatles sounded like until I bought one of their CDs, and the only memories I have of music are what was playing at middle school dances and the occasional Phil Collins CD my dad would pop in while we were driving. In middle school, I generally would listen to classical music or movie soundtracks which I bought of my own prerogative. Yes, I know that’s bizarre.

Then, I slowly began to see the light. After talking with a friend who knew a lot more about music than me, I began to explore the genre of rock. After hearing “Someone Saved My Life Tonight ” by Elton John, though I obviously had to ask who it was, I immediately bought his most recent “Greatest Hits” CD, which later proved worthless, as I bought tons of his other CDs. In those days I bought a lot of greatest hits CD’s from various artists.

I began exploring other genres and subgenres and eventually convinced some followers to turn away from their baseless musical tastes. I still have a lot to learn in every genre, and there are many genres I know absolutely nothing about, but I am making the effort.

Exploring new genres of music is more difficult than one might think, but the effort is worth it. Too often it is too easy to simply write a particular genre off as totally worthless. I believe, however, that there is something worthwhile in almost every genre if one looks hard enough, and even if it doesn’t become your favorite, you’re sure to develop a deeper appreciation for the vast spectrum of everything considered music.

To me, trying new music is similar to trying new foods. Usually a person likes the food they had growing up, and trying new foods, especially ones from different cultures with different ingredients, can be difficult, since people don’t want to get out of their comfort zones. It’s exactly for this reason that liking a new genre requires multiple listens, so you can become accustomed to how the genre sounds.

Forcing people to try new music, however, is generally a bad idea. While it may be tempting to “spread the enlightenment of your superior taste” on your nice but clearly ignorant friends, you can’t simply shove the music down their throats. Insulting genres of music and bands they like also isn’t going to win you any points with them. In order to be effective, you might suggest to them a band to listen to, but don’t press the point too far. I’ve come back to listen to things months after the first listen, sometimes liking it more and sometimes less. Time will reveal the true gems, not emphatic words.

Chris Simpson is a first-year history major and can be reached at [email protected].