Music is so much a part of our modern culture that even those who never took a class can't say they don't appreciate music. Of course there is a difference between appreciating the existence of music and being able to understand the complexities of music. In today's musically illiterate environment the former is certainly more prevalent than the latter.
Psalm 47:7 tells us to sing praises with understanding (sometimes translated as "with a skillful psalm") There is certainly the case to be made that a responsible Christian has a duty to gain understanding of music, if only to be able to sing and write excellent worship music. But especially today, with millenia of music literally at our fingertips, we have more of an obligation than ever to be listening with understanding.
In most schools music appreciation is merely a code word for Western Classical music appreciation, and the books we carry reflect that. But that's not to say you cannot appreciate music written after the 1900s, and we encourage you to learn as much about a wide variety of music as you can.
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