Scott Joplin and His Musical Legacy :: Entertainment Biographies Papers

Scott Joplin and His Musical Legacy He just got his euphony out of the air, verbalize one neighbor. One cannot hear the word sheet without thinking of the King of Ragtime, Scott Joplin. He is clearly one forerunner in the field of American melody, particularly at the turn of the twentieth century. non totally was he a genius in the musical class of mind, he also displayed strong talents in other areas. He had a kinesthetic gift, as seen in the movements he created for his dramatic productions. It was often said that if times were different and not so segregated, he could have been a great choreographer. He was also talented in the interpersonal field, as his music touched so many people throughout the years. by dint of his efforts ragtime is now a respected form of music in our history, although he did not live to see this fulfillment of his dreams.BackgroundJoplins father, Jiles, was only a small boy when he was purchased in South Carolina and taken to Texas. He had the priv ilege of being one of the few black slaves to be a house worker, which decreased his chances of being sold. Jiles was freed in his late teens. pickax the last name of his former owners son-in-law, he traveled south. There he met Florence Givens, who was freeinnate(p). They married by jumping over the stick, the only form of trade union available to blacks at that time. He was eighteen she was nineteen.The Joplins were not a shut up family. It is said that the men had traveling in their blood. Scott, the second of five children, was born on November 24, 1868. When he was a preschooler, they moved to the wild frontier township of Texarkana, Texas.Both Jiles and Florence were musically inclined and talented. Jiles played the violin, while Florence played the banjo and sang. They further musical interest in the children, and all five had talent. Scott stood out to a higher place the rest. At an early age, he could pick out songs on his mothers banjo, on which he was proficient by age seven. He had perfect auction pitch and could duplicate any chord he heard. He had the ability, which he carry until the end of his life, to remember tunes and fragments he heard years before. He incorporate them with his own elements into original compositions. His talent did not go unnoticed. Area music teachers were impressed and offered instruction.