Scott Joplin was an African-American composer and pianist. He is most famously known for his ragtime compositions such as “The Entertainer” or “Maple Leaf Rag” which still resonate with many audiences today. I believe that Scott Joplin is indeed the pioneer of ragtime. To this day, many refer to him as being the “King” of ragtime. It was Joplin who created this “ragtime madness” that instantly swept the world. Throughout my paper, I will discuss how his originality in ragtime helped establish himself as an artist. I will also mention how his music has been so influential to many musicians and how even after 100 years, his music is still as popular and iconic. Joplin has also received a handful of awards and honorable mentions; I must add that all of these happened after his death which proves of him being such a timeless musician. Lastly, I will mention a few of his many songs that indeed define ragtime and showcase who he was as an artist. I will first mention Joplin’s unique originality of ragtime music, however, let me first mention exactly what ragtime music is. Ragtime can be defined as a musical genre most noted for its syncopated (“ragged”) rhythm. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, ragtime quickly became a known music genre to the public. This new music was composed of a blend …show more content…
John Stark said that it was this piece that showed Joplin’s coming to maturity as a composer of marches. Like “The Entertainer”, this piece was published in the year of 1902, and helped establish Joplin as a musician and his known title of being the King of ragtime. This is a very famous ragtime march and like “The Entertainer” and “Maple Leaf Rag”, showcased the absolute talent and originality of Joplin’s music. All three of these pieces are considered to be the “holy grails” of ragtime music and still serve as an inspiration to many other composers to this
In fact, the contributions of Scott Joplin in promoting ragtime music are immense, that it is difficult to talk about ragtime without mentioning his name (Stephens 13). Thus, Scott Joplin is a famous ragtime musician who helped to popularize the music in the 1890s to the early 1900s. For instance, “Maple Leaf Rag” is a famous composition by Scott Joplin that
“Americana is contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw.” ( americanamusic.org) Aaron Copland was an American composer who instilled a great sense of nationalism in the American people through his many works of music that became known as the standard of the Americana music style. He, along with many other American composers of the early 19th century, wrote music that had distinct characteristics that gave Americans a sense of pride and gave music the American sound. His music single handedly created pride in the American people during a time that was considered by many one of the worst periods in our great nation’s history.
As Ellington was a teenager, music called ragtime became all the rage that “swept America at the turn of a century”. A rag is a song that is played in ragtime, it was different from all music at the time as it had a change in beat and rhythm compared to other music. All around the country people wanted music they could dance to, causing Dance Halls to become popular. The music was very lively, and was said to be the perfect sound for Americans who lived in fast paced and big cities. This situation was perfect for musicians like Ellington who were living in New York and looking for work.
James Weldon Johnson was known mainly for his poetry James John was the first African American in his country. Johnson gave a more in depth view into his life he also focused on African American accomplishment and everything battled through his life he was brought up in a middle class setting. Along this was a way to clear that the autobiography of Ex-Coloured Man was not a record of his life. O black slave singers, gone, forgot, unfamed, You—you alone, of all the long, long line Of those who’ve sung untaught, unknown, unnamed, Have stretched out upward, seeking the divine.
The history, popularity and influence of jazz on human culture make it the seminal American art form. The origins of jazz music are central to its identity and its importance in the American story. Firstly, ragtime
Rock music in the 1960s was egalitarian, eclectic, and real based on a number of reasons. To explain the 'real' piece of rock music in the 1960s, one would have to know that there was war going on overseas that didn't make sense to Americans as to why it was going on (the Vietnam war). There was also still severe inequality between blacks and whites causing protests to occur via the Civil Rights movement, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There was inequality between women and mens rights. These issues caused dissatisfaction to occur in the American people.
Hillbilly music was the main genre of music for rural white American’s during the 1920’s. During our class discussion of hillbilly music, I immediately related the genre as the birth of country music today. Hillbilly music was an artistic expression by the people of the rural south. This concept is very similar to the country music that is produced today by musicians from the south who write their music based on what it is like to live in the country. During the time period of the 1920’s, Hillbilly music was only produced and sang by white Americans.
Bing Crosby started the song first, and Al Jolson followed. Al Jolson sang louder and extended the notes at the ends of the phrase. For example, Jolson exaggerated the words “played in ragtime” when he sang the phrase “And if you care to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime.” He also used exaggerated gestures, which is appropriate for the large theaters where he learned his technique. Furthermore, his loudness and exaggeration made him more stand out comparing to Bing Crosby.
Duke Ellington was a jazz author, conductor, and entertainer amid the Harlem Renaissance. During the developmental Cotton Club years, he explored different avenues regarding and built up the style that would rapidly bring him overall achievement. Ellington would be among the first to concentrate on melodic shape and sythesis in jazz. Ellington composed more than 2000 pieces in his lifetime. The Duke Ellington Orchestra was the "house" symphony for various years at the Cotton Club.
Close your eyes and try to imagine a melding the history of the Irish and Scottish tunes, of the twang of country music, and the reverence of a gospel message. Enter a touch of the blues and the spirit of generations who played music to express themselves with this unique genre of music. Each of these components brought with it instruments steeped with tradition. Country music built the foundation with the guitar and bass guitar, the Scottish and Irish influences added the mandolin. The Africa American 2/4 beat contributes the banjo and the washboard adds the finishing folk music touch.
An especially vital influencer to the band was Bob Dylan. Marcus Mumford has even said, “We wouldn’t be playing music at all if it wasn’t for Dylan”. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is viewed as one of folk music’s finest works because it highlights the influence Dylan brings to the world of folk and popular music. From a young age, Dylan had an interest in music and was driven by several entertainment icons such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. This led him to dropout of college to focus full-time on what he loved to do most: creating music.
In the novel Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow tells a complex story where historical figures and fictional characters are woven together to make up the narrative. Evident themes include: race, class, and change and transformation. Throughout Ragtime, there are many characters who are influenced by certain people or encounters. Ragtime not only tells the individual struggles of each character throughout the novel but also shows how each character is affected by another. The different characters in Ragtime represent different responses to change - from encouraging change to responding to it, and from resisting change to accepting it.
Music Analysis Essay Song 1 I have selected ‘Cross Roads Blues’ written and recorded by Robert Johnson in 1936, one of the best Delta Blues singer, song-writer and musician (May 8, 1911-August 16 1938). Robert Johnson performed ‘Cross Roads Blues’ as a solo piece with his vocal and acoustic slide guitar in the style of Delta Blues, produced by Don Law. This song has become a part of Robert Johnson’s mythology because in this song he is talking about the place where he met the devil and sold his soul to the devil in exchange of his musical talent, even though lyrics do not comprehend those references. ‘Cross Roads Blues’ prove that Johnson’s singing style and impressive guitar skills, still copied by Blues and Rock n’ Roll musicians to this
Scott Joplin was born November 24 1868. Scott Joplin was the second of the six children born to Giles Joplin and Florence Givins near Linden, Texas. Scott Joplin was an ex-slave from North Carolina and Givins from Kentucky, a Free born African American. The first post – slavery generation of the African Americans was represented clearly during the birth of Scott Joplin. When Joplin was seven years old, the family moved over to Texarkana where Giles was employed as a railroad employee and Florence took up cleaning and laundry washing as a source of additional income for the family.
The song “Caravan” by Duke Ellington performed by Ella Fitzgerald in this rendition has the lyrics written by Irving Mills. This classic song was released in 1937 but Fitzgerald didn’t complete her rendition until nearly 20 years later in 1957 accompanied by Ellington’s Orchestra in her Duke Ellington songbook album. This is a jazz piece of music with whimsical lyrics and a feeling that invokes an exotic atmosphere. On Ella’s rendition, she adds a big element of a swing sound into the piece and even though she does not need the big orchestra she still knows how to use it. Duke Ellington was born in Washington, D.C on April 29, 1899 to his two musically inclined parents.