January 4, 2025 at 5:18PM

In reply to: Mo Willems “Because” and Musette Strings at CPL Independence Branch

You know what’s always, consistently wonderful? Public libraries, and especially children’s programming at public libraries.

The kiddo has been becoming a lot more musically aware, and asks some really interesting questions about songs we listen to. He’s also becoming curious about what I do, and about disabilities more broadly. So last night we brought both of those together, talking about Beethoven, what it’s like to write music, and what it was like for him specifically to write his later works.

And with perfect timing, a branch of the Chicago Public Library had an event today where a string quartet accompanied a reading of the Mo Willems book Because. Beethoven kicks off that book, and Beethoven’s music was very much in the mix alongside some other pieces played by the quartet.

I am just so grateful to the Musette Strings musicians, the Independence Branch children’s librarian, and CPL in general for putting together programming like this.