"While he was waiting in line, he saw a piano and was playing classical music like it was Symphony Hall, " McCarthy said.

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For classical music buffs, two pieces that work for him are Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, known as the "Eroica" symphony, and Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor.

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"The idea is to strip away any of the preconceived fear factor that classical music can sometimes carry, " says Jonathan Martin, president of the Charlotte Symphony in North Carolina.

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