Happy Birthday Sam & Beethoven!

My friend's son Sam turns 2 years old today, and somewhere in La Jolla, CA a cowboy themed party is taking shape. (His father is a Cowboys fan so I'm guessing on the theme; could be Blue's Clues.) It turns out that today is also Beethoven's birthday. He was born 236 years ago and yet his influence rages on. Granted Belushi did his hilarious Beethoven bit on SNL a long time ago, but everyone knows the opening bars of the Fifth Symphony, the exhiliration of "Ode to Joy" at the end of the Ninth (and he was totally deaf by then!). Beethoven only composed one opera, Fidelio, but let's not hold that against him. If you're a DJ, dust off an old LP of Classical Music's Greatest Hits and spin some Beethoven into the mix tonight, and I don't mean the Fifth of Beethoven from Saturday Night Fever. I mean try something new, break the mold like he did. That goes for Sammy too! Mark your own path in life little man, and always follow the music in your heart.