Someone on the r/ClassicalMusic subreddit asked where someone who lacks a background in music should start if she wants to get into classical music.

As someone with a degree in music, I’ve always deemed the music appreciation curricula taught in college electives misguided. The courses I’ve seen teach appreciation as music history lite. However, the layperson who takes a music appreciation course doesn’t want music history but an entry ramp that will allow her to enjoy and understand the music.

I posted the following response to the post on Reddit, which exemplifies a glimpse of the approach I would take to design an appreciation curriculum.