Probably a combination of acquired taste, and non-conformism. I took classical lessons as a kid, and played in the school jazz band. I think among some musician

Probably a combination of acquired taste, and non-conformism. I took classical lessons as a kid, and played in the school jazz band. I think among some musicians, we get sick of the same old stuff, and thirst for "hotter" music. This tendency was what propelled jazz forward, so if you progress through jazz along a more or less historical path (as a player or a listener), you will kind of experience the same thing. In high school, being interested in anything but top 40 made you a freak. Oddly enough the kids who were accepting of a shy nerd who liked jazz and classical, were the punk rockers. That's whom I hung out with. For some musicians, "hotter" can also mean older, such as baroque or early music specialists.