Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, born on September 5, 1867, in Henniker, New Hampshire, was a pioneering American composer and pianist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From a young age, Amy demonstrated exceptional musical talent, learning the piano from her mother at the age of six and composing her first piece by the age of four.
Despite the societal norms of her time that discouraged women from pursuing professional careers in music, Amy's talent could not be stifled. Encouraged by her mother, she began giving public performances at the age of seven, and by nine, she was already composing waltzes and polkas. Recognizing her extraordinary abilities, her family arranged for her to study in Boston with leading music instructors, including Carl Baermann and Ernst Perabo.