Johann Sebastian Bach was better known during his lifetime as an expert organ player than as a composer. He created sacred music, organ and choral works, and other instrumental pieces that felt lively and free, but underneath had a deep and serious structure. His music was admired for its complex designs, often including religious ideas and special codes, which continue to impress musicians today. Many see him as one of the greatest composers ever. Bach was born in 1685 in Eisenach. His father, Johann Ambrosius, taught him to play the violin and harpsichord before passing away when Bach was still a child. After that, his older brother, Johann Christoph, cared for him. Thanks to his good singing voice, Bach earned a place at Michaelis monastery in Lüneberg in 1700. Although his voice later changed, he stayed with the monastery as an instrumentalist. In his early adult years, Bach worked as a violinist in Weimar and then as an organist in Arnstadt. His time at Arnstadt was marked by some conflict with officials, especially when he took a long trip to learn from another musician, Dietrich Buxtehude. He then served briefly as an organist in Mühlhausen and married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach. He composed important works like the Toccata and Fugue in D minor and early cantatas there but soon moved to positions in Weimar and Cöthen where he continued to compose and perform.