Scott Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag

In 1899 Scott Joplin wrote one of his earliest and most successful ragtime compositions "Maple Leaf Rag", which is named in to pay homage to the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia, MO. The piece was initially instrumental and sold as sheet music ( over1million copies) with royalties of .01 cents per copy. In 1903 Sydney Brown created lyrics for the stage and in 1916 was recorded for a piano roll. Scott Joplin came from Linden, Texas and his mother raised money enough to buy a piano by cleaning homes. Also, once he showed talent Scott was given free classical lessons by a German music teacher, Julius Weiss. Joplin combined classical music, marching band and blues to create a new musical form called &While studying music at George R. Smith college in Sedalia, MO, Joplin played at the Maple Leaf Club. He composed over 70 compositions and in his later years Joplin wrote an opera. His performances varied and he suffered from terminal syphilis that caused disability in his playing.