It always catches me by surprise to discover that my three-year-old is really listening. On our way to the CMOR Short Pump the other day, the car radio was tuned to an interview with renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, who was discussing his interpretations of the musical works of Gustav Mahler.
“Elmo?”
“What, honey?” I glance in the rear view mirror at my little guy in his car seat and turn up the radio a bit so I can hear the rest of the interview.
“I heard that guy say Elmo, Mommy!” (Elmo?!) I give up trying to catch the rest of the interview and put on my Toddler Ears…and…
“Not ‘Elmo’, honey—Mahler!”
“Who’s Mahler?” Oh, boy. My brain sifts and discards overly complicated descriptors: conductor, composer, musician, etc.
“He’s a guy who made music!”
“What kind of music?” I am caught off guard by his tenacity. More sifting and discarding: symphony, orchestra, instruments…
“Music for violins!” He knows what a violin is, and what it sounds like, and that you put it under your chin to play it.
“And flutes!” We play recorders together sometimes after dinner. (Yes, we are that family.)
“And kettle drums?” he asks, remembering Peter and the Wolf. I beam at my little genius through the rear view mirror. We go through a few more instruments he has been exposed to that Mahler may or may not have incorporated into his nine and a half symphonies.
“And ELBOWS!” He is triumphant and my heart sinks a little. So much for our toddler-talk dissection of Gustav Mahler’s instrumental works: my three-year-old’s tour de forceis a body part.
“You know, mommy, elbows!” He wiggles his fingers in front of his mouth, and I am instantly restored.
“That’s right, you smart boy—OBOES!”
And now that you mention it, what DO Mahler and Elmo have in common? For one, the same consonant sounds are in each name. Both of them are small in stature (Mahler was “160 centimeters”, according to the writings of his close friend, artist Alfred Roller. That’s about 5’3”.) They both make music of one kind or another. They both have elbows.
Both generate rabidly excited fans (yes, there is a gustavmahlerboard.com where lovers of all things Mahler get together to talk about him). And (who knew?) my toddler likes them both. As the strains of Mahler’s 8th symphony begin, I hear from the car seat behind me,
Posted: December 22, 2011 by admin
Mahler vs. Elmo
It always catches me by surprise to discover that my three-year-old is really listening. On our way to the CMOR Short Pump the other day, the car radio was tuned to an interview with renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, who was discussing his interpretations of the musical works of Gustav Mahler.
“Elmo?”
“What, honey?” I glance in the rear view mirror at my little guy in his car seat and turn up the radio a bit so I can hear the rest of the interview.
“I heard that guy say Elmo, Mommy!” (Elmo?!) I give up trying to catch the rest of the interview and put on my Toddler Ears…and…
“Not ‘Elmo’, honey—Mahler!”
“Who’s Mahler?” Oh, boy. My brain sifts and discards overly complicated descriptors: conductor, composer, musician, etc.
“He’s a guy who made music!”
“What kind of music?” I am caught off guard by his tenacity. More sifting and discarding: symphony, orchestra, instruments…
“Music for violins!” He knows what a violin is, and what it sounds like, and that you put it under your chin to play it.
“And flutes!” We play recorders together sometimes after dinner. (Yes, we are that family.)
“And kettle drums?” he asks, remembering Peter and the Wolf. I beam at my little genius through the rear view mirror. We go through a few more instruments he has been exposed to that Mahler may or may not have incorporated into his nine and a half symphonies.
“And ELBOWS!” He is triumphant and my heart sinks a little. So much for our toddler-talk dissection of Gustav Mahler’s instrumental works: my three-year-old’s tour de force is a body part.
“You know, mommy, elbows!” He wiggles his fingers in front of his mouth, and I am instantly restored.
“That’s right, you smart boy—OBOES!”
And now that you mention it, what DO Mahler and Elmo have in common? For one, the same consonant sounds are in each name. Both of them are small in stature (Mahler was “160 centimeters”, according to the writings of his close friend, artist Alfred Roller. That’s about 5’3”.) They both make music of one kind or another. They both have elbows.
Both generate rabidly excited fans (yes, there is a gustavmahlerboard.com where lovers of all things Mahler get together to talk about him). And (who knew?) my toddler likes them both. As the strains of Mahler’s 8th symphony begin, I hear from the car seat behind me,
“Mommy, this elbow music is beee-yoo-ful.”
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