Music 101: Three Music Greats You Need to Know
In the age of instant access via the World Wide Web it’s a bit surprising that most people still have major blind spots in their cultural awareness. With its stirring rhythms and soaring harmonies, music binds cultures and transcends language and heritage. It’s arguably the oldest and most important of all the art forms. As such, we’re going to help shine a light on a few of the important historical figures that every music fan should know. Learn about these musicians here, then go online and do a bit of reading and listening on your own. The next time you’re talking with the pros and one of these names pops up, you’ll have a pretty solid frame of reference.
Leonard Bernstein
Bernstein was one of the most highly acclaimed and universally beloved composers and conductors. His longtime residency with the New York Philharmonic should serve as an endorsement of his talent and skill on its own. However, Bernstein was also responsible for some of the most iconic musicals known the world over, including, Peter Pan, Candide, On The Waterfront, and West Side Story.
George Gershwin
George Gershwin is widely regarded as one of the most important American composers who ever lived. Credited as the man who “brought jazz into the concert hall,” Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is his most iconic creation. Born to Russian immigrants in Brooklyn, New York in 1898, Gershwin would become one of the towering figures in American music, joined by his frequent collaborator, his brother Ira Gershwin. At the age of 16, George dropped out of high school and took a job as a Tin Pan Alley song plugger. This allowed him to hone his improvisational skills considerably due to the fact that he played the same song over and over and over again and needed to improvise to keep himself entertained. Gershwin went on to compose the music for countless productions including his tone poem “An American in Paris” and the opera Porgy and Bess.
Fats Domino
Fats Domino is a pianist, singer song-writer, music industry legend and progenitor of Rock and Roll. During his lengthy career, Fats Domino has had no less than 35 Top 40 hits. One of the most revered and influential artists of the 20th Century, Fats was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and was even invited to play at the White House (he turned it down). Domino is widely regarded as one of the best traditional Rhythm and Blues practitioners to have ever lived. Now 88 years old, he still performs with an ensemble composed of bass, electric guitar, piano, drums, and saxophone.
The American Music Industry is beyond rich with history, influences, sounds, and artists who, without active listening and appreciation, risk being lost to the annals of time. Dig in and learn more about the greats. Enrich your music with some of the magic they unearthed for all of us. The music of the United States is complex, soulful, full of pain, joy and inspiration. It’s a melange of sounds from elsewhere and the birthplace of what was in the soil, the water, and the air of this beautiful country. Embrace and find the rhythms that stir within.
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