Ragtime composer Scott Joplin was born in 1868.

Although there is some controversy around the exact date of his birth, it is widely believed that Scott Joplin was born on November 24, 1868, in Texas. Joplin was largely a self-taught musician until he studied at the George R. Smith College in Sedalia, Missouri, at the age of 31. During his studies, he became adept at notating his own compositions, and he played at many disreputable establishments where he met and collaborated with other musicians to develop the "ragtime" style of music for which he is now famous.

In 1899, he joined a music publisher named John Stark who helped him receive credit and pay for his works. Joplin traveled throughout the mid-west playing his own compositions, billed as the "King of Ragtime," before he settled in Harlem in 1905. There Joplin worked long and hard to elevate the musical style, and he composed several ragtime "operas," none of which were published or produced until well after his death. Joplin died at the age of 49 and was not well known in history until some of his compositions were selected for the soundtrack of the famous 1973 movie "The Sting."
 

EconEdLink
In Music, Maestro, Please: Show Business and the Factors of Production (3-5), students explore the differences between capital, natural and human resources, and the important role that each plays as a productive resource. This lesson incorporates an interactive student activity and links to a variety of web resources.

ARTSEDGE
Get inside the mind of a composer with the lessons from the Great Composers theme. Explore the history of a great American music through Jazz in Time (6-12) or consider The Story Behind the Song (6-12), as you discover the relationship between history and song lyrics.