George Handel played the clavichord in secret

George Handel was confronted with adversity early in his life. At a young age, Handel was confronted with a father who did not support a musical career. His father despised music, noting that it was a pastime that served the sole purpose of highlighting a person's flaws of character. His father wished he would pursue a career as a lawyer, a position that would provide him with a lot of job security and financial stability. Handel had to accept this because he was born with "signs of a fierce ambition, born of an awareness of his superiority as a musician, and with a determination to maintain his independence." This determination to advance his musical skill required a great deal of hard work and persuasion, though it was Handel's mother who provided access to a clavichord hidden in the family's attic. His father forbade him from owning any musical instruments because he was unsure that music was his son's best option.

But, because Handel was determined to succeed in that field, he defied his father's wishes. He even had to sneak up to the attic to play the clavichord in secret without his father noticing. Fortunately, he had a mother who understood his ambitions and encouraged him to pursue them. She is most likely the reason we now celebrate Handel's success.