Do I like this? A takeaway from Intro to Classical Music

How often do we sit and ask ourselves, do I like this?

In the midst of covid-19 and missing the Met Opera and Carnegie Hall, I found myself wanting to learn again. I turned to Coursera, which was my online learning platform of choice the last time I wanted to learn something new, which to my best recollection was in college. Because online learning is infamously difficult to stay committed to, I wanted to pick a topic that was purely fun and I would be motivated to continue attending. I landed on Dr. Craig Wright's Introduction to Classical Music which became my weekend companion for around two months.

Among the lessons on classical composers, orchestra composition and lasting influences, I was most struck by the frequent call by Dr. Wright's questions that appealed purely to taste: what did I, as a listener, think or feel in response to a piece?

I spend most of my media watching time consuming the same few shows and movies over and over. When I venture out into something new, it's typically because of a suggestion made by a friend. I'm so used to being inundated with content that listening to something deeply and without intention was a unusual experience. "What do I like?" I wondered at times. And why is this a tough question? The exercise gave me food for thought, and was a start reminder to spend some time with things that are new to me, instead of just the comfort food I tend to consume. I already had an appreciation of classical music, and this course only served to strengthen it.

Interested in asking yourself, do I like this? I recommend my new favorite piece of music, one of Dvorak's Humoresques.