Dan Mitchum
I was halfway through first grade when Gene Autry, one of the original singing cowboys, recorded "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," in December of 1949. I'm sure I heard it on our radio, but it would be a few more years before we had a record player or a TV. As with many kids and adults, it became a lifelong holiday favorite.
Having been in music education for nearly two decades, I've directed numerous renditions of "Rudolph," vocal and instrumental, and at various grade levels.
When I went overseas in 1968, I was surprised to find that fully half of my teaching schedule that first year, was at an elementary school. My three years of stateside teaching had provided me with a wide range of experiences but did not include music at the elementary level. Fortunately, my one course at App State in elementary music, the required notebook of activities I'd begrudgingly assembled, plus the kindness of colleagues saw me through that first year.
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After a few months, I formed an elementary chorus and "Rudolph" soon became not only their favorite song but the centerpiece of our limited holiday repertoire. We performed at the base-wide Christmas concert and suddenly we became famous (for a small naval base in Cuba). Perhaps it helped that the school had been without a music teacher for several years.
Fast forward a dozen or so years. I'm now married, and we're in our seventh or eighth year in the Philippines. My wife had gone to run errands, and 7-year-old Emelee and I were busy with Christmas activities. Music is playing. She recognized "Rudolph" and began to sing along. Some will remember the asides kids like to use, such as: "...had a very shiny nose (like a lightbulb)." When it came to the line about "...all of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names," she eagerly inserted her asides, "like dumbo and stupid, and azzle."
Momentarily caught off guard, I asked, "Azzle,'" is that a bad name?" She replied that it was. My mind did a quick word search: "razzle, dazzle, frazzle, azzle..., aaass...ul." After the 300-watt lightbulb illuminated my brain, as calmly as I could, I said, "Yes Emelee, that is a bad word. You shouldn't be using that word. Where did you hear it?"
"The boys on the bus call each other that.," she replied. Of course.
Sorry Gene, until deafness and/or senility sets in, I don't think I'll ever hear that Christmas classic again without hearing poor Rudolph being so disrespected.
Daniel Mitchum taught at Statesville High School. He later went into counseling and psychology, and holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.
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