Hello classical-net people.  My name is Chris Mullins; I live in the Los
Angeles area; I teach high school English; and I have been looking for
a classical music list for quite a while. I was just referred to this
list this morning after joining a somewhat less active list.

Here's some bio - I loved classical (but mostly the "sweet" stuff -
Rach and Tchaikovsky) as well as pop/rock during my teenage years (late
'60s/early '70s), but I somehow neglected classical almost altogether
from my early twenties until about 5-6 years ago.  I never cared for
opera at all - you know, "all that screaming."

I still enjoy some pop/rock (Tom Waits, Neil Finn, etc.), but a few years
ago I started getting bored. I first opened myself up to jazz and classic
pop vocals (especially love Sarah Vaughan), and then I VERY SLOWLY made
my way back into classical.  First I bought a CD of Fritz Reiner's version
of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, which I'd loved on vinyl 25 years
previously.  And I started to listen to our two fairly good local classical
FM stations - KUSC and KMOZART.  Soon I was spending more time in the
classical section at Tower...

Well, to hurry this up a bit, I now own two to three more times
classical/opera on CD than I do rock/pop or jazz.  I had a LOT of catching
up to do.

I subscribe to LA Phil, of course.  I still love the "sweeter" stuff -
not so much Rach or Peter T.  as before; I'm talking Dvorak and Sibelius
(well, bittersweet!) and Puccini in opera, for example.  But I also love
Bartok and Shostakovich and Brahms and Bach, while I have more respect
than affection for much of Beethoven and Mozart.

As for contempopary music, I can only say I try - I have some Ligeti,
Saaraiho - one or two others.  I am enjoying Adams's "Naive and Sentimental
Music," but I'm not sure if it is a great contemporary symphonic work
or a great attempt at a contemporary symphonic work.  But I'm enjoying
contemplating the topic.

At any rate, I will probably be posting most often after live concerts
- usually LA Phil ones.  The most recent, a Berlioz "L'enfance," was
mostly wonderful.

I hope I haven't bored people too much with this intro!  I look forward
to participating in lively discussions on the list.

C Mullins
Redondo Beach CA
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