Playing Music With A Hearing Impairment
Some people with musical backgrounds are able to "feel" the music in their heads and imagine what the note would sound like in their heads. A great example of this process is Ludwig van Beethoven. On December 17, 1770, Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. His drunk father forced him to play the piano and would even beat him to discipline him to not mess up. He father soon stopped working and feel ill. To help his family, he became Assistant Court Organist. In 1787, Beethoven was able to play for the piano god at the time, Mozart. After hearing him play, Mozart said to his friends and family, "Keep your eyes on him; some day he will give the world something to talk about."In 1803 Beethoven was already considered to be the next Mozart. But at the height of his career in 1803-1812, he beginning to lose his hearing. He grew very depressed because he could never stand to go out and tell people he was deaf. Soon Beethoven could barley hear. After some horribly failed recitals, Beethoven went into composing. He said he "Could feel what the note sounded like" and he "Would know what the music would hear like". Now raved to be one of the best composers of all time, he was able to over come his disablity to play and compose music "For our childrens' children" as he put it. While being legally deaf, he composed his most famous pieces like "Moonlight Sonata" and "Ode to Joy". Beethoven then tragically died on March 26, 1827, at the age of 56.
Ludwig van Beethoven