Presented at the CiRCE Fall Regional Conference 2023.

We can enjoy a party of hors d’oeuvres and cocktail party food but can often leave still hungry. Worse yet, we can take the edge off of our hunger with junk food that fills us for a time but leaves us feeling unsatisfied. Eventually, these choices can dull our appreciation for nutritious and fine food. Sadly, this is also true of how we approach music—we satisfy the longing for beauty with that which is merely pretty. Not only does this lead us away from developing a taste for rich beauty, it also diminishes our capacity to reckon what is really good and true.