I had to learn how to deal with individuals who knew nothing of music theory. Levine and I are interested in music that has more content than any single performance can reveal, music that keeps offering opportunities for discovery after years of study. And the key to growth is the constant demand for excellence, the constant reexamination of things in pursuit of fresh insight. The commercial mass entertainment industry floods the public with music that sets zero prerequisites for understanding. But there are grave limitations as to how much such music can convey.
Growth demands music that challenges the intellect and touches the heart in significant ways.
That is the music of civilization. Long ago, before the lights of cities dimmed our view of the heavens, anyone who looked up on a clear night could see the Milky Way. The glowing ribbon of light seemed almost close enough to touch. But they gave the luminous stream vivid names, such as Celestial River, Star-Filled Basket, and Path to the Place of Abundance. With these names came remarkable stories of how the Milky Way was formed.