It's the time of year where I feel guilty for having only posted once, and I have decided to give all of you a Christmas "gift." How generous. Over the past few years I have become a classical music fiend, having gone from not being able to listen to a piece longer than 15 minutes, to regularly listening to 90 minute symphonies. If you had asked me 5 years ago if I liked classical music, I would have said "no," and added, "it's boring." I think the real deterrent is that I, like many others, was intimidated by the world of "other" music that I had no experience with. I had no real "jumping off point," and that is why after spending an inordinate amount of time exploring the world of classical music I think I am moderately qualified to create a guide to help other's get a taste of it too. Aside from the issue of not knowing what to listen to, the second major hurdle is learning how to listen to a different type of music. ...