 Probably
the most well-known ragtime composer was Scott Joplin. Born in Texas, Joplin
studied piano as a young man. Since there were few schools in the southern
United States that African-Americans were allowed to attend, Joplin probably
did not go to school until he was a teenager. During his teens, Joplin began
playing piano in bars to support himself. He eventually attended George
Smith College, a college for African-American students in Missouri. After
finishing school, Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag was published in 1899. Eventually,
Joplin earned enough with the publication of this single work to support
himself and to allow him to focus completely on composing. In all, he wrote
50 piano rags, two ragtime operas, and a few songs. |