The repeated hearings issue, along with the attendent vicious circle
you describe, have IMO long been at the core of the problem.  But more
fundamentally, there seems to be a lack of awareness amongst the general
population that some music requires concentration and repeated listening
at all, and thus that there is music that is geniuinely _difficult_ and
not just _bad_ (same goes for other arts.) Getting this idea across is
surely the first step to getting more people to consider "difficult
music" without dismissing it out of hand if they don't like it after one
listening at the office in the background.

James Levine's philosophy is also an interesting one IMO, worth more
discussion.

-Francisco

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