08/01/2026
🎼 Artist's Corner — Scott Joplin
They called him the "King of Ragtime" — Scott Joplin wrote "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899, and it became the first piece of sheet music in American history to sell over a million copies. He wasn't just writing catchy tunes — he was inventing a new American sound, blending African rhythmic traditions with European classical structure.
Here's the thing about Joplin, though: he was serious about his art. He insisted ragtime belonged in concert halls, not honky-tonks, and refused to cheapen his rags with the novelty lyrics other composers used to cash in. He wanted his music respected, not only enjoyed.
He wrote an entire opera, Treemonisha, about a Black community finding freedom through education. It was rejected, ignored, and never performed in his lifetime. He died in 1917, largely forgotten by the mainstream. Nearly 60 years later, in 1976, Treemonisha was finally staged — and Scott Joplin was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
So here's what gets me: what was once a struggle to be taken seriously is now just... played. Freely, joyfully, however the person at the keys feels it.
That's exactly what I saw in the video I'm sharing today. One of our wonderful students, Soyoung, played a mean Maple Leaf Rag at our last concert, and it got me thinking — why do any of us do this? Because we love it. Because we're inspired.
So I went looking for a performer who could show that same joy, and I found this video of Geoffrey LaDue playing Joplin's 'Solace'. His interpretation is beautiful, nuanced, his own style, and he's clearly having the time of his life. He has joy!
Remember, everyone plays a part — the composer, the musician, the audience, the listener. Everyone is special!
Scott Joplin's Solace performed by Geoffrey LaDue, Junior Division, World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, 2016
(remove the space after the "https:" 😊)
https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzqu6KNfcPk
Who should we feature next? Drop a name below. 👇
