Perhaps the greatest operatic voice of all time, Luciano Pavarotti, passed away on Sept. 6.

Even those who know nothing about opera know Pavarotti, and even those who don't know his name have heard his voice. He was a man who sang with more power and grace than the ocean and whose voice crossed the expanse of human emotion.

When most people think of opera they think of fat European women with a Viking hat on their head, producing the most mind-numbing screeches that can shatter a mirror or burst an eardrum. Opera is assumed to be a genre belonging to only the most snooty and formal of musical taste. Yet, they are sadly mistaken.

If any musician paved the way for opera into popular music it was Pavarotti, the great tenor himself. His attitude was simultaneously casual and jolly, and sincere and passionate.

I started listening to opera more frequently after seeing the film "No Reservations" this summer and hearing Pavarotti perform "Nessun Dorma." It was such an incredible sound that it sent prickles down my spine and gave me goose-bumps. I was hooked.

As soon as I got home from the movie, I began to search on YouTube for Pavarotti's music. My mother, drawn into my room by the melodious vocals of the fervent Italian, joined in my search. We soon found several songs that we put together onto a CD. That CD sits in my car and is usually playing track 11, "O Sole Mio."

Pavarotti's life was a whirlwind of performances, love, and philanthropy, and his death marks a legacy of musical excellence and beauty to be remembered and celebrated through the future. If you have a spare moment I suggest checking out Pavarotti on YouTube. One obscure title that I stumbled across yesterday, "Non t'amo piu," is definitely worth a listen.