what would you recommend if you were to induct a complete BRUTE and SIMPLETON into the refined world of the western musical tradition? I've been listening to Rachmaninoff and Debussy. so far pretty good would also like to get a basic understanding of the technical parts of composition. is this realistic for someone with zero background in musical theory? what resources/books would you guys recommend? thanks
I did just that last year. Followed some online courses on the history of music (like this one on courseradotorg/learn/introclassicalmusic), went to concerts, hired a guy to explain some finer points.
I'm still not very knowledgeable, but I now know what I like and don't like.