[Thor Joachim Haga]

Surely, there must be some ‘innate’ qualities in play, when it comes to taste and preference?

I’ve always been obsessed with potato chips, for example, since I was a wee lad. My whole family is, really, but I’m the only one struggling to keep it in check (I’ve gained 30-35 kilos in a decade, they’ve not). I’m not a brain expert, but there must surely be some genetic thing going on there, some centre in my brain that attracts me to all things crispy, salty and fatty?

I’m sure the same is true for music as well. Some biological wiring that attracts me to certain types of music over others.

But like all nature/nurture debates, there is a lot of influence from learning as well. As usual, it’s a combination of both. The tolerance for dissonant music is mostly a learned aspect, acquired gradually. When I first heard Supertramp, I hated them. All those weird chord changes and rhythmical changes and slight dissonances. But not only did I learn to tolerate it, I learned to love it. They became my favourite band.

And then you go from slightly dissonant to a little more to a little more, until you end up appreciating Stockhausen and Webern and Penderecki. Not necessarily loving it like you do tonal music, but appreciating it for what it is.