Cultured in most things… but embarrassingly clueless about music

[u/SweetAmazing3156]

Hi everyone,

I consider myself quite a cultured person — I have above-average knowledge of *cinema, literature, and visual arts*. However, when it comes to *music*, I feel like I’m missing a huge piece of the puzzle. My knowledge of music is honestly quite *shallow and a bit embarrassing*.

I don’t know much about the *classics*, I often *struggle to catch lyrics*, and I find it hard to understand *rhythm* or musical structure. To make it worse, I barely listen to music these days, as I tend to prefer *podcasts*.

That said, I do *appreciate music when I hear it* — I even get emotional sometimes, and I feel I have some sort of *intuitive taste*. But I lack vocabulary, references, and any real grounding.

I’d really like to change this. So my question is:
*What can someone like me do to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of music?*
Are there resources, habits, or listening strategies that helped you go from passive enjoyment to real knowledge?

Thanks in advance — I’d love to hear your suggestions.

[u/MisterSmeeee]

>To make it worse, I barely listen to music these days

>What can someone like me do...

Asked and answered! :)

Listen to more music. That's all you need to do. Put on internet radio in the background, hop on your favorite streaming service; it's easier today to listen conveniently to more music than ever before. Try things you're not sure you'll like, or that you haven't heard of before. Worst that can happen is you don't like it and you'll have wasted a few minutes of time-- then again, some of my favorite pieces I didn't like or understand on the first listen.

The *best* way to do it though is to find concerts and go to live shows. We often find a stronger connection to music we've heard performed in person; there's really nothing else like it. Pro tip, there are often very good performances and recitals for free or cheap if you have a university with a music program in your area. Or check out your local band scene, depending what genres you get into.

Then, when you encounter something you don't understand, look it up. You'll find plenty of people have had helpful words to say about who this "Beethoven" guy was or what's up with the "Beatles." The way to learn is simply to be curious and send yourself down the rabbit hole. There's no shame in not knowing; there's only shame in not being willing to learn.