When I last checked in, I was at 'wits end' and ready to check my twin six year old daughters into a convent til they reached the age of 24. Why? Because they had just announced their chosen profession would be to become PUSSYCAT DOLLS. Dads, I know you feel me when I say just one step away from 'pole dancing', right?
So to continue ... Just as I was looking in the yellow pages under "A" for the nearest abbey, my friend Herb calls and offers my family the equivalent of a music oasis; four tickets to the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. They are playing an all Tchaikovsky night, featuring the Piano Concerto and the 1812 Overture with Fireworks! How wonderful to take my kids to their first classical concert, their first orchestra concert and their first trip to the historic Hollywood Bowl. And if it's a bust, at least the kids will say they liked the fireworks. Can it get any better?
Yes it can. When we arrive we find out the guest conductor, the first orchestra conductor my kids will remember laying eyes on ... is Thomas Wilkins, a Black man! And then bonus points ... Thomas Wilkins is from my home town of Detroit, where back there, he too has twin girls, just like me ... TOUCHDOWN!
I give my girls the significance of "conductor Wilkins", and they are only mildly amused. Trouble? As the music plays I'm all set to give my girls the 'blow by blow' of what's about to happen (given my music background), when one of my daughters whispers to me, "This is the music to Sleeping Beauty." Say what? She is only 6 years old. This has got to be a fluke or maybe she over heard someone. But when the orchestra starts playing the next selection and her twin sister says, "Now they are playing Swan Lake"; I'm floored! The following song, both daughters agree the music is once again from Swan Lake, but this time it is definitely The Wedding Song. OK, when I tell you I am on the moon without a rocket, I know you feel me.
So to continue ... Just as I was looking in the yellow pages under "A" for the nearest abbey, my friend Herb calls and offers my family the equivalent of a music oasis; four tickets to the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. They are playing an all Tchaikovsky night, featuring the Piano Concerto and the 1812 Overture with Fireworks! How wonderful to take my kids to their first classical concert, their first orchestra concert and their first trip to the historic Hollywood Bowl. And if it's a bust, at least the kids will say they liked the fireworks. Can it get any better?
Yes it can. When we arrive we find out the guest conductor, the first orchestra conductor my kids will remember laying eyes on ... is Thomas Wilkins, a Black man! And then bonus points ... Thomas Wilkins is from my home town of Detroit, where back there, he too has twin girls, just like me ... TOUCHDOWN!
I give my girls the significance of "conductor Wilkins", and they are only mildly amused. Trouble? As the music plays I'm all set to give my girls the 'blow by blow' of what's about to happen (given my music background), when one of my daughters whispers to me, "This is the music to Sleeping Beauty." Say what? She is only 6 years old. This has got to be a fluke or maybe she over heard someone. But when the orchestra starts playing the next selection and her twin sister says, "Now they are playing Swan Lake"; I'm floored! The following song, both daughters agree the music is once again from Swan Lake, but this time it is definitely The Wedding Song. OK, when I tell you I am on the moon without a rocket, I know you feel me.
So now I want to know who has taken over the exceptional music education they obviously are getting. I first pat myself on the back, because "the apples don't fall far from the tree, right?" But I then cave in to my wife who made me send them to private school even for kindergarten. OK props to the wife, she got it right. But noooo, the girls reveal their secret weapon ... they finally confess they owe their music prodigiousness to ... Barbie Videos! That's right that little plastic blond bi*ch, has done something right. She has a whole dancing fairy series. Barbie Sleeping Beauty, Barbie Swan Lake. Each video has the actual dancers from the American Ballet Theatre, digitalized, with the Tchaikovsky music played by the London Symphony.
So just as I got my first taste of classical music from those BUGS BUNNY, cartoons, Barbie is putting it down for this generation. So you'll excuse me as I run to the Target store. Barbie NUTCRACKER CD is on sale for $5.99.
Later.