Which types of music inspired Gustav Mahler as a young child?

As a young child, Gustav Mahler was primarily inspired by two distinct musical influences: the military music he heard at a nearby barracks and the folk music sung by the local Czech working people.1

Fascinated by these sounds, he began reproducing them on the accordion and piano around the age of four, which also marked the beginning of his own early compositions. These military and popular styles, alongside the sounds of nature, remained foundational sources of inspiration throughout his career as a composer.1