![]() Dance steps like the cakewalk, inspired by minstrel shows featuring modes of black banjo playing, were unlikely to be incorporated into white dance for many years to come, but white musicians incorporated the sound into their own daily repertoires as a pleasing style of melody and rhythm. Popular with honky-tonk pianists working along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, ragtime became the “predominant style of American popular music” by the end of the 19th century. Pieces of the genre are as visually distinctive as they are in sound. Ragtime features off-beat rhythms, a heavily accented first beat with the left hand making fast leaps to include the harmony. Originally employed as a verb, as in to “rag” a rhythm, the genre was first referred to as the “jig-piano” style. ![]() The new African-based musical language grew to such popularity that piano rags were programmed on formal classical programs. That is now conceded by all classes of musicians.” – Scott Joplin Despite a general dearth of African American names rising to musical prominence during the years of Reconstruction, black talent existed in good measure for both popular and classical genres, and among the most notable musicians celebrated in the present day is composer Scott Joplin, who in his day earned the moniker “King of Ragtime.” Joplin’s use of ragtime as a piano genre was as natural to African American dances as the waltz was to Europeans. I think he would be pleased with the belated recognition, but remain disappointed that people still play his music too fast.*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents “What is scurrilously called ragtime is an invention that is here to stay. ![]() He received a special prize for his lifetime contributions to American music. Joplin received the Pulitzer Prize in 1976 (, The Pulitzer Prizes). Interest in ragtime in general, and in Scott Joplin in particular, was revived after The Sting used his music in the 1970s. ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) finally put a commemorative marker on the grave in 1974 (Long Island Press, page 2, August 2, 1974). He was in an unmarked grave for 57 years after he died. He predicted that, “People will begin to appreciate me 25 years after I am dead” (Newsday, page 4, August 1, 1974). He died at the Manhattan State Mental Hospital on Wards Island along the East River in 1917. However, his opera was only performed once and was never published (Scott Joplin, Collected Piano Works, The New York Public Library, 1971). This was a step on the way to his dream of a full-length opera. This interesting piece combined different dance steps with the singer also working as the caller. At the same time, he was also working on a Ragtime Dance. It became a hit, selling 75 thousand copies in the first 6 months, and is still being published today. Scott Joplin was born in 1868, left home at age 14, and played at many saloons and places with “questionable” reputations. Do not raise the toe from the floor while stamping” (Scott Joplin, Collected Piano Works, The New York Public Library, 1971). “The pianist will please ‘Stamp’ the heel of one foot heavily upon the floor at the word ‘Stamp’. In Rag-Time Dance, for example, he notes where to stamp your feet. He wrote specific notes into his music to encourage the performer to draw the audience into the music. This musical lead into The Sting helped propel the film to success as it won multiple Academy Awards in 1974, including Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Music, Scoring Original Sound Score (, Academy of Motion picture Arts and Sciences).ĭisney Jim has fun with the performance. Later, at 2 minutes 30 seconds, it transitions back to the piano solo. However, at the 49-second mark, the tempo abruptly speeds up and instruments and drums pick up the tune. As you can hear in the clip below, the film starts out with a mellow piano solo, more in keeping with Joplin’s preference. Speeding up the tempo makes it seems more current, and was used to great effect in the movie The Sting. People find it irresistible to play ragtime fast. Composer.” Some of his pieces, such as Pine Apple rag, even say to play the piece at a “slow march tempo” (Scott Joplin, Collected Piano Works, The New York Public Library, 1971). Other Joplin compositions, such as Country Club and Sugar Cane, have even more specific directions. If you look at the sheet music for The Entertainer, it specifically says “Not Fast”. Scott Joplin, the master composer of classic ragtime, hated when people played it fast. This rendition of Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer would have driven the composer crazy. When you hear the familiar fast paced chimes of the truck, you might think, “Ice Cream!” This repetitive tune is so commonplace in the summer that even my dog recognizes the sound and runs up the driveway to get her “Frosty Paws” treat.
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