Scott Joplin: Composer

Children's Literature - Danielle Williams

There are few music styles that can be considered uniquely American. But before there was jazz or rock and roll, there was ragtime. Scott Joplin had a natural talent for playing and writing music. It was many years before he received formal training, yet he was able, early in his life, to write and play difficult compositions and was directly responsible for the creation and promotion of ragtime music. It was not easy for African-Americans to gain opportunities for advancement, but Joplin was a savvy businessman as well as a talented musician, and was able to strike deals with publishers that gave him chances few others could have dreamed of. While critics and older white Americans criticized Joplin and other ragtime composers of contributing to crime and delinquency among the young, many composers of classical music recognized the music as a new art form and were amazed that such talent could come from someone with no classical training. Joplin's life was one of extremes, well-known and admired by many Americans, he also suffered from depression and financial and creative setbacks when his music was not as well received as he expected it to be. Yet Joplin was instrumental in the development of jazz, and his music is recognized the world over. The text is part of the "Black Americans of Achievement" series.