SCOTT JOPLIN 1868 1917 COMPOSER AND MUSICIAN JOPLIN SCOTT 1868 1917 ARTS AFRICAN AMERICANS AMERICAN CULTURE SCOTT JOPLIN GREW UP IN TEXARKANA TEXAS IN A MUSICAL FAMILY LOCAL TEACHERS TAUGHT HIM TO PLAY PIANO IN THE MID 1880S HE BEGAN PERFORMING THROUGHOUT THE MIDWEST HE PLAYED WHAT CAME TO BE CALLED RAGTIME MUSIC IN 1893 JOPLIN PERFORMED AT THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION IN CHICAGO HE PUBLISHED THE MAPLE LEAF RAG IN 1899 THE SONG SOLD 500000 COPIES AND PUSHED RAGTIME AND JOPLIN INTO THE SPOTLIGHT JOPLIN WROTE MORE THAN 50 PIANO RAGS AND COMPOSED A RAGTIME OPERA JOPLIN MOVED TO NEW YORK IN 1907 AND BEGAN WORK ON ANOTHER OPERA TREEMONISHA JOPLIN WROTE AND PLAYED LESS OFTEN AFTER 1912 SUFFERING FROM A MENTAL ILLNESS HE WAS PLACED IN AN INSTITUTION IN 1917 AND DIED A FEW WEEKS LATER
