I can’t recall the sheer number of times I’ve been asked “What kind of music do you like?” and when I reply with my usual slew of bands and artists, I receive a “That band sucks,” or “I hate her voice, it sucks.” These responses usually leave me angry, and a little hurt, but mostly angry. How can someone be so ignorant to good music? However, it is not ignorance that is the problem, it is tolerance.

People these days have grown accustomed to associating not liking a band and/or artist, with that band/artist having no musical talent. First off, no music is bad. Music takes skill, dedication, hard work, and confidence, plus it is art, and all art is somewhat good. Also when someone says a band “sucks”, it is completely subjective, and therefore has no merit; one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

There is also a common dichotomy that if you don’t like, it must be because it sucks. Not true at all. I, for instance, don’t like Lady Gaga. At all. But when my girlfriend is singing Poker Face at the top of her lungs, I have to appreciate the catchiness of the tunes. I find it quite rude when someone insults my musical tastes, so it needs to be understood that the follow-up to the statement “I don’t really like that band,” doesn’t have to be “because they suck.”

So what would it look like to be more tolerant of music? Listening to more music? Forcing yourself to listen to music you previously didn’t like? Listening to the very pretentious genre of music known as jazz? All of the above? Well, maybe, but that’s not the point. Just be more tolerant, respect other people’s tastes in music, and appreciate human creation at it’s finest. If we all practiced a little tolerance, I think the world would be a much better place.