I brought my teenage nephew to an RI Philharmonic concert.

He told me he didn’t “dig” classical music.

The night before he had attended a Rolling Stone concert that he described as “cool and “rad.”

The drums rolled and the trumpets blared to “The 1812 Overture” and Jason turned to me and said, “Uncle Don, that’s awesome!”

He has since become a fan.

If we could convince our younger generation, and older folks, too, that classical music is indeed awesome, the RI Philharmonic would sell out every seat for every monthly concert.

I’m proposing January as “Take a Newbie to the Philharmonic” month.

Buy them a ticket for Christmas, along with a classical CD.

Explain that many of their favorite movies (Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter) have classical music playing in the background.

Arrive at the concert early and read about the composers and their music in the program. Many, like Mozart and Dvorak, have fascinating backgrounds.

Don’t worry about what your guest wears. The days of tuxedos, suits and ties, and fancy dresses are long gone.

You may explain that most people do not clap after each movement but wait until the end. Those who do are newbies, and are not looked down on in this day and age, but appreciated as being new to the genre.

As you may shout “awesome” for the Stones, you may wish to shout “bravo” for the male soloist or “brava” for the female.

Occasionally, like the Stones, extensive cheering will bring two or three bows, and possibly an encore of a shorter work.

The Saturday, Jan. 17 concert features “Beethoven’s 3rd  (Eroica)” and Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture,” two exciting works. The Festive Overture features the side-by-side performances with members of the RI Philharmonic Music School joining the musicians.

And save the date of Feb. 15 for Ravel’s “Boléro,” a number that even the newbies will recognize.

Tickets can be purchased at www.riphil.org/events.