Each episode of The Open Ears Project begins with a guest discussing a piece of classical music he or she loves before the track is played in full. An episode that aired on 9/11 presents a moving story from a New York City firefighter who listened to Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” every day for months after digging at Ground Zero. A preschool art teacher describes playing Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” while the children in his class matched their brushstrokes to the frenzy of the driving chords. Celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, Jon Batiste, and even the podcast-famous relationship therapist Esther Perel also join the show, telling stories about their connections to classical pieces that give new meaning to the works. The effect is not dissimilar from the mood of a meditation app, but one that delivers thought-provoking stories as well as relaxation.