What will it take to have live music for everyone?

A miracle. When did one last occur?

I might be off base on this, but I think a lot of getting people into hi-end audio begins with exposing them to live unamplified music at a young age. Doing so I feel essentially hardwires people's auditory memory, gives them a true reference for sound as they grow older, and instills in them a need to hear music reproduced the right way. I also feel that people who view music as a way of living (as many view food or religion) are driven (dare I say possessed) to seek out ways to get closer to the sound. And, too, let's face the fact that music does not play a primary place in the lives of most people, hence the fact that Best Buy is good enough for them.

Many musicians have "crappy" music systems because really, they're around live music all the time, and if they want to hear good live music, they'll just get together with friends to jam or attend a live event. And when they're listening, they may be more obsessed with hearing what the musicians are doing rather than how realistic they sound.

Live music can be had for everyone. There are many talented musicians and local groups that play in festivals and such for free or a nominal fee.

Some very good points by Bojack,Piezo and Rives. I go at least once a week to see a live performance nearby. Different bands each week. Most of the people are to busy talking and have the need for visual stimulation. Only a few people really get into the sound and can take note of an excellent performance. Is it possible that some people do not have the capacity to hear into the music? I have noticed that some people cannot be silent and still enough so as to eliminate the sounds that are comming from within. This may be the reason why some (not all) need to be drunk and dancing in order to enjoy music. Maybe they want the attention on them and not the peformers.This could be why there are fewer women audiophiles than men.

I agree with most everything that has been said in this post. As a musician myself, I have noticed that many of my friends who sit in front of my system seem to "get it." In fact, I have had a few friends ask me for help in designing fair priced systems for them. My friends have not spent as much time with audio as I have so their observations are not as detailed as my own, but I feel that they all have the capability to really appreciate hifi. I think that it is because we know what music is supposed to sound like, and hearing accurate reproduction of it takes an important precedence...Now if I could only explain to them that my system is only at the tip of the iceberg of what is capable!