The weird thing about playing in a bar is that people don’t listen to you. I was a cornetist with the Queen City Concert Band and a pianist with the Maple Leaf and the Black 400. I left the family cocoon at a very young age. It remains, however, a very promising piece for the composer, who was only 27 years old at the time. It must be acknowledged, however, that this piece could have been written by many composers, especially European ones. One can already perceive Scott Joplin’s extremely precise musical technique. This piece is not a witness to his style - for it is a waltz and not a rag - but is in any case a witness to the composer’s classical education: the vocal part requires an almost lyrical interpretation. This short waltz is the very first work by Scott Joplin, published in 1895. He taught me composition and harmony, taking me on a journey through European musical genres, particularly opera. Despite our poverty, my father gave me a piano and paid for lessons with Julius Weiss, my first music teacher. I understand now that it was to prevent me from bothering her, but she would always put me in front of the piano. Instead, I remember accompaniying my mother when she went to clean the neighbours' house. My family was rather poor, so I didn’t go to school.

I was always immersed in music, my father was a violinist, my mother a banjo player and singer, and my five brothers and sisters played the guitar, the trumpet or sang.Īs for me, it was the piano.

That said, she was a housekeeper and washerwoman for a rich white family - at the time it wasn’t very far from slavery. My father, Giles Joplin, grew up as a slave. All I know is that in 1870, I was two years old. This is not that surprising though, I come from a black family in Texas in the 1860s: knowing when I was born is the least of my worries. Subscribe to Newzik for unlimited import! Finally, in case you’re not a Newzician yet, get Newzik for free on the App Store to download these free scores from Scott Joplin! Composer of the month: Scott Joplin If you are a free user, choose only the parts you want later in the interview (mind the 15-file import limit of your free account). If you are already a Newzik Premium subscriber, go ahead and download it right away! Scott was kind enough to prepare a complete setlist for Newzik’s subscribers, with all the music we discussed with him. This month, we’re proud to receive French composer Scott Joplin. In these interviews, they talk about their work and history, and offer you free sheet music of some of their most iconic pieces for your Newzik library! What a nice thought. Each month, we celebrate a famous composer who imposed their mark on classical music history.

One in a million you composer