Here's one that you may not even think about: why does some music seem to divide those that hear it? It seems common when meeting new people, either in real life or online, that at some point the question of favorite tunes comes up, and even more common that people will either be specifically for or against certain types.
This is especially odd for me, giving that anyone who's been around me long enough knows exactly the kind of music I prefer: video game soundtrack. I've had more than a few encounters over the years where someone has walked up to me at work, phone drawn, sometimes with music already playing, and been asked only for them to receive a headshake and a "You probably won't have it", with the occasional "Try me" and "Oh..." following depending on their adamancy.
The simple observation is that, for many, music is their escape, for others a tone setter, and for me, well, it's more of the cherry on an ice cream cone. I've always said I like the music to tell it's own story, as an explanation for my lack of lyricals. I can listen to Arata Iiyoshi's "Sky Tower" or Jeremy Soule's "March through Norrhart" and feel like I can immediately visualize what is occuring. Granted, I have played their games of origin, which I can't say hasn't skewed it slightly.
And, in truth, it's not that I don't have any lyrical songs in my library, it's just that they are a very small part of it in comparison, though usually with a similar source. Jon Licht's "Honor for All", Asja Kadric's "Fear not this Night", and Breaking Benjamin's "Blow Me Away" from hearing the non-lyric versions as I played Dishonored, Guild Wars 2, and Halo 2 for example. But, their meanings are different than say someone going the other direction.
That's where I think things get cloudy for people when talking of music. Like many things, origin can play a big factor in how they view or even hear it. Sure, as a pokemon person, I am well aware of the "Pokemon Theme Song", but, means I was always more into the games than the show, the "Pokemon Red/Blue Opening Theme", which I should add you can hear in almost any of the other opening themes, carries significantly more weight for me than even that iconic song.
How to bridge the gap between origins honestly begins with acknowledging there is a gap in the first place, as well as knowing that some of them might be in less friendly places than others. Beyond that? I would compare it to a roguelike game, where everything after the start changes every playthrough. Knowing whether you succeed or fail is impossible to tell until you start through the dungeon. The real question is how long you think you'll keep playing until you decide to stop.
Just a Penny's Worth of Thoughts, for those with an ear to the sky.
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