Aaron Copland

Hello, my name is Aaron Copland. A long, long time ago, I grew up in a big, busy city called Brooklyn. There were so many sounds in the city, like cars and people talking. But my favorite sound was always music. I loved to listen to my sister play the piano. The beautiful notes made me feel so happy. Hearing her play made me want to learn, too. More than anything, I wanted to create my own songs. Making my own music was my very favorite thing to do.

When I got older, I knew what kind of music I wanted to make. I wanted my music to sound just like the country I loved: America. I made my songs sound like big, sunny fields and wide-open skies. I wanted you to hear my music and imagine happy cowboys dancing. One of my most famous pieces of music is called Rodeo. When you listen to it, it sounds like a happy country dance. It is music that everyone can enjoy and clap along to.

I made music for my whole life because I loved it so much. I lived to be 90 years old. Even though I am not here anymore, my music plays on. Today, people still listen to my songs to hear the sound of America. My music reminds people of beautiful, sunny landscapes. I hope when you hear my songs, they make you feel happy and maybe even make you want to get up and dance.