The song, "Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin is really fun to listen to. It is very upbeat and cheery. This song has a similar feel throughout, and is very recognizable at any point. The listener should be able to tell the time period because of the two-step feel to it. The format of the song is easy to tap your foot to and isn't so predictable that the listener gets bored at any point. One of the listening themes present within this song is a certain groove that makes the song stuck in people's heads, but in a totally good way.
Scott Joplin is the composer and main performer for this piece and was very prominent within the Ragtime community. I would argue that "Maple Leaf Rag" was not his most popular piece; however, I wasn't around at the time of the composition, so I can't say for sure whether "Maple Leaf Rag" or "The Entertainer" (another of Joplin's famous pieces) sold more copies.
A periphery that "Maple Leaf Rag" would have been included in at the time of its creation would have been the African American community because Ragtime was a genre more prominent in the South at the time.
Another aspect I like about the song itself is the syncopation within. It's less formal than the songs that came before, and much more entertaining. I like listening to this song, and also enjoyed learning more about Joplin. He's a talented composer and also made African American music more popular at a time that was very difficult.
This song is great. The syncopation and ragtime keep you engaged and help keep the music interesting. The upbeat cheeriness seems to add to the catchy beat the song has and almost seem to make it even more likely to get stuck in your head.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed listening to this song too! It's very easy to listen to and makes it fun with the upbeat rhythms through the whole piece. I agree that Joplin is a great composer and feel like he made a big impact on music at the time!
ReplyDeleteThis is one song that i hadn't listened to very much and didn't know that much about. Reading your blog, i now know way more about this song and that will help me remember it for the test! So thank you! Rag time music is so unique and the syncopation is so cool to listen to.
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