Scott Joplin and the Age of Ragtime - by Ray Argyle (Paperback)

About the Book

At the turn of the twentieth century, Scott Joplin struggled on the margins of society to play a pivotal role in the creation of ragtime music. His brief life and tragic death encompassed a tumultuous time that signaled the arrival of modern music, culture, and technology. This biography follows Joplin's life from the brothels and bars of St. Louis to the music mills of Tin Pan Alley as he introduced a syncopated, lively style to classical piano. Joplin's effect on popular music is closely identified with his era and the role of African Americans on the music scene of the United States.

Book Synopsis

At the turn of the twentieth century, Scott Joplin struggled on the margins of society to play a pivotal role in the creation of ragtime music. His brief life and tragic death encompassed a tumultuous time of changes in modern music, culture, and technology.

This biography follows Joplin's life from the brothels and bars of St. Louis to the music mills of Tin Pan Alley as he introduced a syncopated, lively style to classical piano.

Review Quotes

"Ray Argyle is an author who writes exceptionally fascinating stories on social and cultural change."-Toronto Globe and Mail; "not simply a musical history...ragtime aficionados and the new-to-ragtime together will be delighted by the information...and creative take Argyle has on this music Joplin and his contemporaries gave us"-ARSC Journal; "an excellent read, for musicians, historians and the curious"-www.mfiles.co.uk.

About the Author

The late Ray Argyle was a journalist and media consultant. His articles appeared in such magazines as Reader's Digest, France Today, and World War II History. He lived in Kingston, Ontario.