Scott Joplin was the king of ragtime.
Biography
Scott Joplin was born on November 24, 1868. Scott was an African American. He grew up in an African American area in Caves Springs near Linden, Texas. He was born into a first post slavery generation. Scott’s father was a former slave. Scott moved to Texan, Texas in 1875. They moved because of Mr. Joplin’s musical talent. They started to own a piano from a neighbor. He lived in Dalia, Missouri for a few years.
By age eleven Scott was learning the finger points of harmony and style. Even at his early age he showed his extraordinary talent. As a teenager Scott worked as a dance musician. After several years he started playing the piano in saloons. In the late 1890's Scott worked at the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia. He started to become famous in 1891.
He could play the piano very well. He had his skill at the piano skills noticed by German immigrant piano teacher, Julius Weiss. He wrote forty ragtime pieces and won the Pulitzer Prize. Scott Joplin was known as the king of ragtime. The name “King of Ragtime” came from his musical talents. Ragtime is a style of jazz.
Joplin won the hearts of millions of Americans at the turn of the century. He helped change American music and culture. As an adult, Joplin also studied at an all-black college in Sedalia, Missouri. He was "blessed with an amazing ability to improvise". Scott wrote one ballet and two operas. In his life time he was very successful in making well-liked music.
Works
Scott Joplin had a very successful career and a very great amount of work in Ragtime. Some of his works are Sunflower slow Drag, Peaching Rag, and the Easy Winners (1901). Some later works are Magnetic Rag, Kismet Rag,(1913) and Felicity Rag(1911).
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External Links
http://www.scottjoplin.org/biography.htmhttp://www.incwell.com/Biographies/Joplin.htmlhttp://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=8206http://www.lsjunction.com/people/joplin.htm http://www.answers.com/topic/ragtimehttp://www.lsjunction.com/people/joplin.htm