... great things were done. The ceremony took place at the foot of the Wartburg, a historical medieval hilltop castle overlooking Eisenach. Nagel, his godfather, from whom Johann was to get his middle name, Sebastian, held him as he was baptized by the town's priest. Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a family who ... instruction on the organ came from the musician at Eisenach's most important church. He instructed the boy rather rigorously until his skills surpassed all expectations for someone of such a young age. He worked diligently to become the best that be possibly could so that when ...

• Word Count: 2888
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... Dmitri Shostakovich On November 7, 1917, the Russian Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace and created a new form of government they called the Communist Party. In the first years of the revolution, anything and everything seemed possible; not just in politics, but in the arts as well. It was an era of "isms,": ... freedom was coming to an end. Organizations were formed to determine artistic policies and to enforce them. There were signs, books that weren't published, authors who disappeared, theater directors whose plays were cancelled. Then the authority's attention turned to Shostakov...

• Word Count: 3530
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: High School