McClellan was a music critic for the Washington Post over three decades. “Joe was a gentle, inquisitive and compassionate man, and those qualities were reflected in his criticism. ‘I’ve never attended a concert without reminding myself that at least one person in the room knows more about that music than I do.’ Sharply negative reviews were rare, and Joe was aware that he was sometimes viewed as a cheerleader. (He dismissed that charge with a laugh: ‘I don’t know how to twirl a baton and would look dreadful in a skirt.’) Instead, he likened his role to that of a gardener.”