Loudspeaker

Hello there. My name is Loudspeaker. Can you hear me? My job is to take very quiet sounds and make them big and loud. BOOM. Before I was here, it was hard to hear things. If someone sang a song, you had to be very, very close to hear it. If someone told a story, everyone had to lean in to listen. It was all so quiet. I was created to help everyone hear all the wonderful sounds, all at the same time. I love making sounds big and happy for everyone to enjoy together.

Two clever friends named Chester Rice and Edward Kellogg made me. They wanted to share music and voices with lots and lots of people, not just a few. So, they worked hard to find a way. They gave me a special magnet and a paper cone that could wiggle. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. When a tiny, quiet sound came to me, my cone would wiggle just right. It would push the air and make the tiny sound into a BIG sound. On April 28th, 1925, they showed everyone what I could do. A little whisper became a big, clear voice. A soft song became a loud, happy tune. I was so excited to finally have my big voice.

Now, I am everywhere. I help you have dance parties with your friends, playing music so loud you can feel it in your toes. At the library, I help the storyteller’s voice reach everyone, even in the back row. When you go to the park, my voice might tell you when it’s time for a puppet show. I love my job. My favorite thing is to fill the world with happy music and joyful sounds so everyone can sing and dance together. It makes me feel so proud to share all the fun.