Learning great melodies from classical music—from Beethoven's Fifth to Vivaldi's Spring—gives children a foundation for understanding the world around them. When kids recognize iconic pieces of music, they unlock connections and shared vocabulary across time periods and cultures. Learning about the composers, their historical contexts, and their personal struggles teaches students that art comes from real people who overcame real obstacles and dreamed of new possibilities. A student who learns that Beethoven composed his greatest work while deaf, or that Clara Schumann had to fight to be recognized in a patriarchal society, gains powerful lessons about resilience and grit. All generations need those lessons. All generations need to know they can find them in the field of music.