Ode to Joy

I start as a quiet, happy whisper. Shhh. Can you hear me?. Then, I grow bigger and bigger. My sound is like a giant, joyful parade. Boom, boom, boom. Singers sing high and low. Horns toot, and violins sing. I am a special song that makes you want to dance and sing along. My name is Ode to Joy. I love to make people smile. When you hear me, you might want to spin around and clap your hands. I am a song made of pure happiness, a big, warm musical hug for everyone to share.

A kind man with big, fluffy hair dreamed me up a very long time ago. His name was Ludwig van Beethoven. He found a beautiful poem all about friendship. A man named Friedrich Schiller wrote the happy words way back in the year 1785. Ludwig loved the words so much he wanted to turn them into a song for the whole world to hear. It was hard for Ludwig to hear sounds with his ears, but he didn't need to. He could hear me perfectly, right inside his heart. He worked so hard to write down all my notes. Then, on a special day, May 7th, 1824, he shared me for the very first time in a big room in a city called Vienna. Everyone who heard me clapped and cheered so loudly.

I was made to feel like a big, warm hug for the whole world. My special job is to remind everyone that we are all friends. Joy is something we can all share, like a big, yummy cookie. Today, people all over the world still sing my song. You can hear me at parties, in big, shiny concert halls, and even in movies. Whenever people want to feel happy and close to each other, they play my music. I am a song that lives forever, helping everyone, big and small, remember to be kind and joyful together. My music is a happy sound for you.