Sound cage: The Development and Change in Patterns of Musical Preference

Why is it that some people swear by the thunderous sound of heavy metal, whilst others find fulfilment in attending the opera? Why does Arabic music seem alien to a Central European, and vice versa? The origin of this 'Babylonian confusion of music' lies hidden in our minds. Between the moment music reaches our ears in the form of sound and the moment we decide whether we like what we hear or not, there lies a vast apparatus of bones, muscles, nerves and, above all, neurological processes that categorise the sound and integrate it into our existing reality. However, we do not encounter a new sound with an open mind; rather, we are all trapped within our very own 'sound cage'. This work examines the current state of knowledge in the field of musical preference patterns and presents new findings from educational field research.