In Composers, we explore how songs are created by people from long ago and today. We meet Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, and learn how their lives shaped their sounds. We also hear from Sesame Street, and legendary Broadway composer Bill Sherman about writing catchy tunes with meaning. Listeners discover that anyone can start with a small idea and build a powerful piece of music.

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On this episode of The Children’s Hour, we learn all about composers — the people who write music. Have you ever wondered how songs are created? A composer is the person who puts the notes together, making melodies that can be played by singers, choirs, or even a whole orchestra. Some composers lived hundreds of years ago, and their music is still played today. Others are writing brand-new songs right now that teach, entertain, and inspire us.

We start with Johann Sebastian Bach, who lived during the Baroque period. Bach worked very hard to invent his own musical style, and even when he had struggles, he kept writing. Next we meet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was a child prodigy. Mozart started playing the piano at three years old and composed his first song at five! Then we learn about Ludwig van Beethoven, who created some of the most powerful music ever written, even after he lost his hearing. These great composers changed the way the world thinks about music.

But composers are not just in the past. Today, we hear from Bill Sherman, a modern composer who worked on Hamilton, In The Heights, Sesame Street, and Jam Van. Bill tells us how he makes songs, why it’s important to keep trying, and how music can bring people together. Along the way, you’ll hear pieces that show how music from long ago and music from today are connected.

Kids can be composers too! Take a listen to our show Sounds Classic, where we interview child piano prodigy Kayden Kelly, who plays and composes classical music. The link to the podcast is here; Sounds Classic take a listen!

This episode of The Children’s Hour was written and co-produced by our Junior Producer and Intern, Thaniel Lentz, with production support from Katie Stone, Sarah Gabrielli and Chris Tsakis.

The Children’s Hour radio show is distributed by Native Voice One: The Native American Radio Network.

© 2025 The Children’s Hour Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Please note: not all songs we play can be found in Spotify.