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 parents were 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. 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!

Joan Tower is one of the most well-known, and important American composers either living or dead! She is also one of the most successful female composers ever. In addition to writing music, she is also an accomplished pianist. Joan was born in 1938 in New York; when she was a child her family moved to South America. She returned to the states many years later to go to college and continue her music career. Listen to the following examples: For The Uncommon Woman Listen to Joan Tower talk about her music! Silver Ladders(Grawemeyer Award For Music Winner) Sequoia Petroushskates Copperwave Piano Concerto  - you will love this!

Born in Bonn, Germany in December of 1770 (The 13 colonies were still part of the British Empire)-- 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)