Bach and Elizabeth Lämmerhirt Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach, 2015). His father was a church organist whose family went back seven generations of musicians (Johann Sebastian Bach Biography, 2015). Coming from a musically inclined family, J.S. Bach was taught to play the violin at an early age assumingly by his father. Religion played a major role in his upbringing and career. Bach’s family was Lutheran and at the age of seven, he attended school where he received religious instruction along with studying Latin other subjects (Biography, 2015).
Gifted with a beautiful voice, Bach also sang in the local church choir. While still young, he mastered the organ and violin along with developing his singing voice (Sherrane, 2012). Sadly at the age of ten, Bach found himself an orphan with the death of his parents (Johann Sebastian Bach Biography, 2015). Given the situation, Bach was fortunate to have his older brother, Johann Christoph, take him in (Biography, 2015). Johann Christoph was living in Ohrdruf, Germany where he was the organist at St. Michael’s Church. It’s believed his brother Johann Christoph gave Bach his first formal teachings on keyboard instruments and continued his musical training (Johann Sebastian Bach Biography, 2015). Bach was enrolled in school and did exceptionally well.
In 1700, Bach was given the opportunity to attend St. Michael’s School in Lüneberg, Germany and have a place on the school’s choir due to his wonderful soprano singing voice (Biography, 2015).