You were born in the wrong century for your musical taste. People may think you are trying to be pretentious but you really listen to what you genuinely like. You have few people you can talk about and share your favorite playlists with. Yet, you don't have exactly have an arts degree on the subject either. You might not even know what your favorite pieces mean lyrically. To experience this in-between struggle you might be what I'm referring to as a casual operatic fan. Perhaps this list applies.

1. If you ever play music where others might hear it's not without guilt

When showering in a dorm and the opera mood strikes you might rack your brain for what average person wouldn't mind. Which song has the least amount of high notes? What can I play to trick people into liking opera too?

2. You get super excited when you find your favorite pieces are from the same opera

Wow, "Votre Toast" and "L'amour" are both from "Carmen" you say! "Figaro's Aria" and that overture you know from Looney Tunes are both "The Barber of Seville"? Your more causal listening leads to these discoveries late in the process. That last one is how I got into opera in the first place.

3. When you did look up what a piece meant it made it more magical

Then there's always those other times where the lyrics didn't make as much sense, weren't as emotional as you were hoping, or came from a character you dislike *cough* "Vesti la Giubba" from "Pavarotti" *cough*.

4. You wish you could sing along, but know you would sound like Florence Foster Jenkins

Live your dreams, Florence.

5. You feel like a genius when you can name an opera piece in a commercial or TV show

Your friends need not know companies always use the same five or so.

6. You love commenting what opera piece was used as background in a YouTube video

Nothing is more frustrating than recognizing a piece but not being able to place it, so you want help others, and maybe create more fans of opera in the process.

7. You are sometimes infuriated by how timeless opera classics are used today

Skittles, why?

8. Your favorite operas are probably because of a few arias or the overture rather than the entire performance

Hence being a more causal fan, but then then there's "Lakmé" of course. No one is a casual fan of "Lakmé."

9. "Amadeus" is probably your favorite movie

What do you mean it's inaccurate?

10. It's impossible to look up a song if you don't know it well enough

Let me tell you how hard it is to remember enough Italian or French and its spelling to listen to "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" or "Mon Coeur S'Ouvre À Ta Voix" on a whim.

11. Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to see an opera in person but for now you know how to make due

There's all those YouTube clips from probably the '70s and CD booklets with the lyrical translations you rent from the library. Dream on, my dear casual operatic fans, the real day will come.