Sebastian – A mother’s story behind the choice of baby name

My family felt strongly about your name from the time you were born, it was just one of several on a list when we entered the hospital. Our main association with “Sebastian” was John Sebastian Bach, the Fore Father of Modern Music. I love Bach not just for his music, but for his life–he was a loving family man, who took exceptional good care of and loved his children and he had 20. As an expert in both organ-playing and organ-building (which sounds like you as well—you have an insatiable need to know how everything works!), Bach was called in to test organs all over Germany to create sounds from many different walks of life. He used to say, “Above all I must know whether the organ has a good lung!”, and then, pulling out all the stops, he would produce the largest sound possible, often making the watching organ builders go pale with fright. Even stories recounting how Bach liked to keep himself busy, and that he was always in a hurry. The artist complained that Bach would never sit still long enough for him to finish the portrait properly! That, too, reminded us of your infant self—you arrived, without regard to whether we were ready for you or not, 4 weeks earlier than expected.

Submitted by Charmaine M.