Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)

Listen. Can you hear that? Da-da-da-DUM. It sounds like a little knock on a big, big door. Sometimes my knock is loud and strong, like a giant stomping his feet. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. And sometimes my knock is soft and quiet, like a little mouse tapping its tiny toes. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. But I am not really a knock on a door. I am a song. I am music that you can hear and feel. My name is Symphony No. 5, and I am made of beautiful sounds.

A wonderful man made me. His name was Ludwig van Beethoven. He loved music more than anything in the whole world. Music danced in his heart and sang in his head all day long. As he was making me, his ears found it harder and harder to hear the sounds outside, like birds singing or people talking. But that was okay. He kept all the music safe inside his amazing mind. He imagined a big family of instruments, called an orchestra, playing my notes together. There were violins that sing high and drums that beat low. On a chilly night, on December 22nd, 1808, he shared me with the world for the very first time. Everyone listened as my music filled the room.

I don’t use any words, but I tell a big story. When you hear me, you might imagine a brave hero on an exciting adventure. Or you might picture a gentle butterfly dancing from flower to flower. For a very, very long time, children and grown-ups all over the world have smiled while listening to my song. I am here to remind you that even when things seem a little hard, you can make something beautiful and strong. My music is for everyone, and it helps us all feel happy and together.