THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEORGE GERSHWIN AND
HIS INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN MUSIC
George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1898. He was born
the son of immigrant parents. His birth name was Jacob Gershowitz. Gershwin's
first musical experiences came from his brother 
Ira's piano.
George quickly learned to play by ear. His parents saw his potential, and
invested in piano lessons for him. He began to play professionally by his
late teens. he began playing in "Tin Pan Alley". There, musicians
tried to sell their songs to executives for a small amount of cash. Gershwin's
first largely sucessful musical composition, Rhapsody In Blue,
was written for the Paul Whitman Orchestra. He wrote it in less than three
weeks. He wrote it with a swing band in mind, not a large orchestra.The
night of the premiere, Gershwin played the solo instrument, the piano.
When Gershwin played in front of an audience, he usually improvised as
he went. After the sucess of Rhapsody In Blue, he wrote a few more
compositions for piano and orchestra. He also began writing a symphonic
dance, which was inspired by a trip to Europe. It was entitled "Concerto
In F". Another piece that was influenced by his travels was An
American In Par
is. Gershwin lived a very short life, dying from
a brain tumor in 1937.
Gershwin's compositions are frequently used today as an example of
the entrance of American music into the serious music world of classical
composers. Many of his early compositions were later introduced to the
silver screen and on Vaudeville. Gershwin reflected the growing urban life
in such works as An American In Paris. In other compositions he
portrayed the social situations of Americans, like in Porgy and
Bess. Gershwin's songs soon became mainstream in American movies.
After his death Gershwin's brother and partner, Ira Gershwin, shared his
works with other young composers, such as Micheal Feinstein, who includes
many Gershwin pieces in his work. Thoughout his life and even after his
tragic death, Gershwin influenced American music and life, and the direction
it was going in.
Listen To Gershwin:
Rhapsody In Blue
Someone toWatch Over Me
An American In Paris
Bibliography:
Gershwin, George."George Gershwin: A Biography."The
George Gershwin Educational Fanpage. http://www.ionet/~jcj/gershwin/gershbio.html,
Thursday, January 22, 1998
Gershiwin, George."Pianist
Gives Gershwin Piece New, Jazzier Life."On Wisconsin. http://www.onwis.com/letsgo/performingarts/1006strini.html,
Friday, January 23, 1998
Gershwin, George."George Gershwin."The
Classical Gershwin. http://www.sju.edu/~bs065903/gershwin/classic/classic.htm,
Thursday, January 22, 1998
Written and Designed
By Briana Parker and Sarah Jefferson
TEAMAssignment