How to Broaden Musical Horizons

Musical taste is one of a person's most defining characteristics. Although most of us know people who claim to like "basically anything," we usually enjoy only one or two genres that really feel like home. Expanding our musical horizons can be challenging, but it rewards us by opening our ears and our hearts to new cultures and ideas. Here are some easy ways to broaden your taste.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Listen to online radio stations to uncover new music. Some of the stations play obscure music that'll push your limits, but many of them broadcast tasteful blends of their respective genre's best artists.

2. Explore a genre's history to discover which artists made lasting musical contributions. Many fan sites provide lists of their genre's all-time best albums, which makes finding good music easy for you.

3. Ask your friends and family about their favorite bands and artists. You can expect a few strange responses, especially from parents who grew up during the musical revolutions of the 1960s, but there's no better way to get straightforward recommendations from people you trust.

4. Consider subscribing to satellite radio. The stunning breadth of content satellite providers offer gives you a wide variety of high-quality music that sounds great and is easily accessible.

5. Follow critical reviews of new albums online to keep up with the best of what's current. Even if you disagree with the reviewers' opinions, digesting their ideas puts you more in touch with your own taste, which helps you to expand your horizons.

6. Check out the media collections at your local university's library if available. Schools with conservatories and strong music departments often have vast stores of classical and jazz recordings available for free to the public.