Art History and Appreciation - Music

Running Head : THE ENTERTAINER

An Analysis of Scott Joplin 's The Entertainer : A Ragtime Two Step

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An Analysis of Scott Joplin 's The Entertainer : A Ragtime Two Step

Ragtime compositions are intermingled with the rise of jazz and popular music during the late 19th century . As the romantic and contemporary musical eras became known for its specific contributions to music ragtime composition set itself as purely an American composition wherein it originated from African-American communities in the United States . Ragtime music established

itself as a defining musical genre apart from its European counterparts . The structure of ragtime music are mostly based on jigs or marches basically dance music with its unique African syncopation coupled with the strict musical structure from classical music . One of the best known and forerunners of ragtime composition was Scott Joplin . Born between 1867 of June or January of 1869 , Joplin 's life coincided with the first generation of post-slavery era . The second eldest among six children , son of Florence Givins and Jiles Joplin in Texas , Scott Joplin began to show interest with the piano when his mother cleaned well-off homes where he would practice his music . He was also born into a musical family , Florence played the banjo and sang and Giles played the violin . Giles apparently taught his children the violin as well , for Scott , Robert , and William all played that instrument (Berlin 1994 ,

. 6 . By 1882 however , his mother had bought a piano which exposed his...