Irving Berlin
What was unique about Irving Berlin's piano playing?
He could transpose his songs to different keys using a special lever.
What age did Igor Stravinsky start playing piano?
9 years old
What instrument did W. C. Handy play?
Cornet
Did Gustav Holst start playing piano or trombone at age 12?
Trombone
What style of music did the Dixieland group make?
Jazz
What country did Irving Berlin grow up in before moving to New York?
Russia
What was Stravinsky’s most famous work of the 20th century?
The Rite of Spring
Where was W. C. Handy born?
Alabama
How long did Holst teach at St. Paul’s Girls’ School?
Almost 30 years
What did they change “Jass” to?
Jazz
What was Irving Berlin's real name?
Israel Baline
What were two of Stravinsky’s earlier ballets?
The Firebird and Petrushka
Why did W. C. Handy’s father dislike instruments?
He thought they were tools of the devil.
Why did Holst stop playing the piano?
He suffered from neuritis in his right arm.
What was unique about the people in the band?
The band was racially integrated.
How many songs did Irving Berlin write?
About 1000 songs
When was The Firebird first premiered?
June 25, 1910
What was W. C. Handy’s first job?
Music teacher
When did Holst start writing The Planets?
1914
What did they do to make jazz more popular outside of New Orleans?
They toured the USA and performed in parades, concerts, and dances.
His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors, including what?
An Academy Award, a Grammy Award, a Tony Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
When he was 16, how many days a week did Stravinsky have to rehearse?
5–6 days a week
What was the first hit song W. C. Handy made?
Memphis Blues
Why did Gustav Holst switch to the trombone?
He switched in hopes that it would help his asthma.
When was the first jazz recording?
1917