After a lifetime of not understanding opera, I attempted to transform myself into an aficionado by pledging to listening to the same 100 arias repeatedly for months, hoping that musical "osmosis" would eventually take effect and that I would start enjoying myself. The experiment succeeded beyond my wildest expectations, including a peak opera experience with Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte" at the Met. The story of my opera journey is contrasted with a very different one: an interview with Nicola Mills, the talented soprano and impresario of "Opera for the People", who joins us for the first of several appearances on this podcast. Also discussed: "La Traviata" by Verdi, "Barbieri di Siviglia" by Rossini, "Die Zauberflote" by Mozart.