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background is a sheet of music with a purple overlay. Photo of Stratton on the left and a photo of Richie on the right. Below that in bold, white text is "Entering Music", with "Fridays at 10 am" and a white BTPM Classical logo below that
Entering Music

Liking Classical

By Stratton Rawson,
Richie English
Published September 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM EDT
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background is a sheet of music with a purple overlay. Photo of Stratton on the left and a photo of Richie on the right. Below that in bold, white text is "Entering Music", with "Fridays at 10 am" and a white BTPM Classical logo below that

The truth is that the number of people who regularly listen to classical music is very small. In the United States we’re lucky if three people out of every hundred persons listen to classical music. But as a listener we know this fact also to be true. If we could get people to listen, really listen, to Chopin or Beethoven or Rachmaninoff or even Satie they would make a place for classical music in their lives. That makes the question “How did you become a listener to classical music?” an important one to ask… and to answer. This is what happened when Stratton asked Richie.

Entering Music 2026
Stratton Rawson
Stratton Rawson grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York State midway between the Hudson River and the Appalachian Trail in the shadow of some the oldest mountains on earth.
See stories by Stratton Rawson
Richie English
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Richie English has worked extensively as a pianist, teacher, and composer since childhood. He began studying piano at ten years old with Frieda Manes, and within a year was the youngest piano teacher registered with Denton, Cottier & Daniels in state history.
See stories by Richie English
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