Beethoven

 I was talking with Julia yesterday. She is listening to late Beethoven string quartets, and Shostakovich, two of her favorite composers. There's something about having an "adult child," to use a familiar oxymoron, that is satisfying. I can have a conversation about classical music and see the development of her mind, as well as my own indirect influence. She realized that the string quartet repertoire is huge and that she doesn't have to listen just to symphonies and brass concertos.  

My father loved the late Beethoven quartets too, but he died when Julia was 5, long before she decided to be a musician. I was a jazz nut for years but then came gradually back to classical music, though I never really disliked it. My expertise is limited, since I know some music really well but have huge gaps in my knowledge as well. If I get obsessed with something, then I will listen over and over, but I don't need to be obsessed about everything either.