I’m glad you like that music, even though I don’t.
I work in niches of niches: vocal jazz, contemporary a cappella, TTBB choirs, etc. I love the niches I work in, and I have developed strong opinions about various genres of music – and specific pieces or performers – over the years. Necessarily strong opinions, I would argue, because my ability to express a viewpoint musically comes from having clear opinions, both positive and negative.
That doesn’t mean I think you should agree with me.
I’m glad you like that artist I never enjoy listening to. I’m glad you get pleasure out of singing music I’d never program. I’m glad you like Barbershop music.
I am truly glad, even though I can give you chapter and verse reasons why I don’t enjoy it.
I’m glad because my opinions don’t need to be yours, because I want you to find your niches, and because I could well be absolutely wrong about my musical opinions. It’s happened before!
I don’t want you to agree with all of my musical opinions. I do want you to justify yours – be able to describe why you love it – and I want you to accept mine as valid.
It’s a beautifully wide musical world. There’s room for us to disagree. I’m so glad we do.