1

Music is an art enjoyed by nearly every culture in history. Although different genres may contain different attributes, no genre is better than the rest. What seem like opposite ends of the spectrum all share the unique ability to unite, restore, entertain and inspire.

2

Carl E. Seashore writes in the Psychology of Music, "As is the intelligence of a man, so is his music." Intelligence can be shown through music no matter what type of music that may be. As long as an artist has talent, it will show in that artist’s music.

3

Music, as described by Eminem, is "a reflection of self." In general, music defines the writer in ways words cannot. Every decision made in writing a song reflects the mind of the artist without judgment or bias. Even the untrained ear can hear it.

4

For this reason, genres of music are simply groups of like-minded people. Fans opt toward what they like most, giving each genre a unique cultural following. Some are cult-like, while others are more inclusive of other genres. Some have a combination of influences while others have very few. Music is the product of culture, and at the same time culture is the product of music.

5

Fans have a tendency to call the genre they listen to the best. The kind of music one listens to reveals oodles about one's personality. The fact is, to call one genre better than another is to call red better than blue. Musical appeal is in the ear of the listener.

6

So then genres ridicule each other for the same reasons cultures ridicule each other. Classical musicians deem rock to be too chaotic and simple, while rock musicians call classical music boring and elitist. Are these not the same words used by the people who listen to these genres to describe each other? When people call a genre of music inferior, they are calling an entire culture inferior whether they know it or not.

7

Every genre reflects a distinct culture. For example, we may never know exactly what life was like hundreds of years ago, but music, a rarely accredited time capsule, allows us to hear what it was like. From works of the most ostentatious composers to the folk songs of peasants, ideas were preserved through melody.

8

Therefore no genre is useless. If music truly is a reflection of self, then each genre characterizes its following. So if one learns to appreciate another genre of music, is one not also learning to appreciate another culture as well?

9

Openness to music represents openness to culture. To accept other genres while keeping ones own preferences is the mark of a true musician. A professor at the Eastman School of Music, when asked what type of music he listened to, replied, "Good music." To him there was no distinction between genres as long as there was quality in the musician.

10

Music is a language unlike any other. As people strive to be fluent in many languages, so too should people strive to be "fluent" in many diverse genres of music. Not only does it provide a more three dimensional view of music, but also a three dimensional view of society as a whole.