什么决定了人的音乐品位？

Our preference for this or that kind of music is obviously a deeply subjective matter. It can also be highly unstable， changing not only during a lifetime， but even on a scale of months， or even days. Yet despite such variety， there are three factors that are the main contributors.

The first is our upbringing， or the musical background which surrounded us in our formative years.

The kinds of music that we were exposed to as infants and toddlers helped to create very specific mental patterns—schemata—of the most typical melodic， harmonic， and rhythmic progressions.

These schemata serve to create expectations when we listen to music， and， as it turns out， we tend to experience greatest pleasure when those expectations are met.

However， even the most stable musical schemata can be overridden by socio-cultural concerns， and these constitute the second contribution to our musical preferences.

Music， likely from the very beginning of the existence of modern humans， has been used to bring people together in various kinds of activities， because it is really efficient at regulating bodily and emotional responses of large groups of participants.

Thus， it has served to create a sense of belonging， of group cohesion， of inclusion. The same mechanism applies today， where music brings listeners together in different activities.

Whether youre into heavy metal， or hip hop， or jazz， your preferences are guided in part by your desire to be a member of some social circle.

These two factors seem to paint a rather mechanical picture of musical preferences， but this is obviously not the case.

Nothing is likely to be more important than our own subjective feeling at the time of listening， and this is something that draws on a very complex and irreducible network of biological and cultural influences.

Especially today， with nearly unlimited access to all genres and styles of music， we use music as a tool for regulating or maintaining our emotions， and our moods.

This is why when you want to study you might reach for something unobtrusive， without words. Or when youre trying to relax before bed youll probably listen to something calm. All of these point to the fantastic flexibility of music in our lives. But deep down its all about what the music does to you， how it affects you emotionally， bodily and cognitively.

我們对这种或那种音乐的偏好显然是很主观的一件事，变数也很大，不仅在人的一生中会发生变化，甚至在几个月、几天内都会发生变化。然而尽管有这些变数，有三个因素主要决定了我们的音乐品位。

首先就是我们的成长环境，或者说是我们成长期周围的音乐背景。

我们婴幼儿时期所接触的音乐类型帮助我们形成了特定的心理模式，即最典型的旋律、和声和节奏进行的基本认知图式。

当我们听音乐时，这些图式会使我们产生预期，结果就是，当这些期待得到满足时我们会感受到最大的快乐。

然而，即使是最稳定的音乐图式也会被社会文化因素所覆盖，这也是决定我们音乐偏好的第二个因素。

可能从现代人类存在开始，音乐就被用来把人们聚集到各种活动中，因为音乐在调节大量参与者的身体和情绪反应方面非常有效。

因此，音乐被用来创造一种归属感、群体凝聚力和被包容的感觉。这一技巧现在也适用，在各种各样的活动中，音乐将听众聚集在一起。

无论你是喜欢重金属、嘻哈还是爵士乐，你的喜好中有一部分是受你想融入某个社会群体的愿望所驱使的。

以上两个因素似乎描绘了一幅相当机械的音乐偏好画面，但显然并非如此。

听音乐时好像没有什么比我们的主观感觉更重要的了，这涉及非常复杂又不能简化的生物和文化影响网络。

尤其是在今天，我们几乎可以不受任何限制地接触到所有音乐流派和风格，我们已经把音乐作为一种管理或维持情绪和心情的工具。

这就是为什么在你想学习时会选择不耗费精力的没有歌词的音乐，或者睡前想要放松时会听安静的音乐。这都是因为我们生活中能对音乐灵活选择，但归根结底这些都是关于音乐对你的改变，以及它是如何影响你的情绪、身体和认知的。

Word Study

subjective /s?b'd?ekt?v/ adj. 主观的

Everyones opinion is bound to be subjective.

upbringing /'?pbr????/ n. 养育;教养

regulate /'reɡjule?t/ v. 控制，管理

The activities of credit companies are regulated by law.