WAPS COMPOSER OF THE WEEK

He is the most famous composer you've never heard of -- Scott Joplin was born near the end of 1867( the actual date is unknown) in Northern Texas. His mother was formerly enslaved and gave Scott some of his earliest music lessons. Scott taught himself to play the piano while his mother cleaned the houses of wealthy people who owned pianos (the Joplins did not have a piano at home). Later in his life, he began to write music and became known as "The King Of Ragtime" because of the style of music he created. An opera, music for ballet, and more than 44 ragtime dances for the piano are just a part of the music Joplin wrote in his life. Remember to say something about the music when you leave a comment. Great story about Scott Joplin from NPR Here are some of his most well-known compositions: The Entertainer Maple Leaf Rag The Strenuous Life Easy Winners Treemonisha- Scott Joplin's Opera!  In English!

Florence Price Florence Price was the first female African-American composer to have music performed by a major symphony orchestra! Her music blends African-American and European traditions and is becoming much more well known. She attended the Prestigious New England Conservatory Of Music, and later served as the head of the music department at Clark Atlanta University. Like many other composer/song-writers, Ms. Price wrote music for commercials and movies in addition to these well-known compositions: Symphony No.1 in e minor Piano Sonata No.1 in e minor Dance: Nimble Feet Violin Concerto No.2 Honeysuckle At Dusk

Born in Bonn, Germany in December of 1770 (America was still part of the British Empire at that time)-- Beethoven re-defined what it meant to be a musician during his lifetime. At the time he was born, most musicians were in the employ of wealthy patrons who controlled what they created -- by the end of his life, Beethoven demonstrated that it was possible to create music that satisfied the composer and audiences would be happy to pay to hear it. His music is among some of the most well-known in the world. He wrote for voice, piano, orchestra, and many solo instruments. Listen to the following: Minuet in G Ninth Symphony (the theme you know begins at 1:06:30-it's over an hour of music!) Newly Completed 10th symphony using AI Rage Over A Lost Penny ( Humor from Beethoven) Beethoven Lives Upstairs (a great movie about Beethoven's life) Piano Sonata #31 in A-Flat (one of Mr. Montague's Favorites) Bernstein talks about Beethoven now listen to the...

Composer of the Week will continue in January. We are preparing for the Winter concert. In the meantime...  Revisit the music and composers we discussed in class from August through November.  It's always available!

  Don't forget to leave a comment. American composer John Corigliano was born in and still lives in New York City. His father was the concertmaster for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and his mother was a pianist. He has written more than 100 major compositions, many of them award-winning ( he has: A Pulitzer, 5 Grammys, and an Oscar) He is also a well-respected music teacher at the Julliard School (he still teaches at 87!), and has influenced many composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Here are some examples try to listen to a bit of the all: The Red Violin - The Legend of the Haunted Violin -- spooky music! Longer version of "The Red Violin"  Symphony No. 3 (Circus Maximus) the music begins at 8:20 , however the introduction is interesting , listen at 32:30 for the SIRENS ! Fern Hill  this is choral music (performed by a choir) listen around 5:00 for the most exciting part!

  Don't forget to leave a comment. British composer Errollyn Wallen writes amazing music that is a joy to hear!  She was born in Belize in 1958, but moved to the U.K. when she was two.  She studied dance and music while in school. Currently, Ms. Wallen is Master of The Kings Music , a very high honor in the United Kingdom. She is also the very first Black woman to be featured in The Proms ! She was asked to create new music for the event this year, 2025. Here are some examples of her music Peace on Earth Concerto Grosso Chrome for Brass Band Mighty River The composer talks about her Piano Concerto Piano Concerto (part I) Mighty River  (with the composer and conductor explaining the music)