From Ourselves, pg 31:
Many great men have put their beautiful thoughts, not into books, or pictures, or buildings, but into musical score, to be sung with the voice or played on instruments, and so full are these musical compositions of the minds of their makers, that people who care for music can always tell who has composed the music they hear, even if they have never heard the particular movement before. Thus, in a manner, the composer speaks to them, and they are perfectly happy in listening to what he has to say.
This quote is special to me because my parents gave me that gift, not through any fancy curriculum or by spending lots of money on concerts (although we did attend a few), but simply by playing a classical music station on the radio in the car or while we worked around the house. Over the years I gradually (pretty much by osmosis!) learned about the styles of different composers, and even if I am not sure of who composed a particular piece I hear, I can make an educated guess. I also learned about their lives from the information casually and often humorously relayed by the DJs. This was a great help academically when I was studying to take the music history exams for the Royal Conservatory of Music, because I already knew much about the composers and their place in history. But more importantly, I developed a deep love for classical music which has brought me much joy through the years.
