I find the dogmatism of the Birtwistle-loathers smug & offensive; you've
every right to your tastes, but don't assume that all righteous humans
agree with you, whether they're 50 or 5 years old.  (Yes, I like, admire,
enjoy Birtwistle's music; no, I'm not 5 yrs old.) Children, unsurprisingly,
exhibit a range of tastes:  as a kid, I was entranced by avant-garde music
& theater, while my brother was dubious.  Bu, -- & we agree on this -- we
were enriched by exposure to all the variety that NYC could offer.  My
brother, who probably would have avoided the avant garde, if not all
classical music, instead grew into an interest in works he thought "dumb"
as a child.  Most important, he has always felt secure about exercising
his own judgement.  If a critic sneers (as do the antiBirtwistlers here),
& he disagrees, he doesn't feel that it's "dumb" to disagree.  Too many
listeners are cowed by the guru-of-the-day, whether avant garde or
reactionary.  Educate ears, & let the listeners decide for themselves.

LA