Beethoven Smith

Justis took a class called Themes to Remember this fall in co-op. The kids listened to classical music and learned about one famous composer each week. They were given a CD with a snippet from one of each composer's songs and memorized little tunes to each snippet that helped them remember the composer's name and a short summary of the composer's life.

The kids and I were heading home from co-op one afternoon, when I heard Justis singing,

"Beethoven Smith!

Beethoven Smith!"

You know the song, "Dun! Dun! Dun! Duuuuuuh!! Dun! Dun! Dun! Duuuuuuh!!?

Then the other three kids piped in (with gusto),

"Beethoven Smith!

Beethoven Smith!"

I asked, wondering if I had heard them right, "What are you singing back there?"

"We're singing Beethoven Smith, Mom!" Madalynn said.

"Yaaah, Mom," Justis chimed in, "It's from music class. Beethoven Smith was a man that wrote music and died. He couldn't hear very well to hear his own music." He giggled and added, "He also had BAAAAD manners. His friends said so!"

"Justis, that's cool that you learned about Beethoven!" I said. But I don't think his name was "Beethoven Smith, though, I think you meant to sing, 'Beethoven's Fifth,' the name of one of the symphonies he wrote."

"Yes, HUH, Mom!" Justis argued, singing again, "It's BEETHOVEN SMITH, BEETHOVEN SMITH

(he, he!)