
My 6 year old son has been telling me about composer and pianist, Scott Joplin, for the last two weeks. I had no idea who he was but when I played his music it was very familiar. His music has been in thousands of movies and cartoons. Almost every saloon scene has played either ‘The Entertainer’ or ‘Maple Leaf Rag’. He was hailed as the king of ragtime music, famous in the late 1890s. Joplin helped usher in a new era of music, which involved into swing and jazz music. He was one of the first melanated Americans to own his publishing as a first generation freed colored person. He went on to publish over 40 songs. His style and business savvy was ahead of his time.
Scott Joplin – The Entertainer
https://youtu.be/fPmruHc4S9Q
Scott Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag
https://youtu.be/pMAtL7n_-rc