During December, Ira Miller will feature two Jewish composers: George Gershwin and Aaron Copland. Although George Gershwin was not a religious man, it is easy to hear the influence of the Yiddish music he was surrounded by on his composition output. He was considered such a great composer that he had difficulty finding a composition mentor; during his search, he was often turned down because other composers felt he was just so good that they didn’t want to introduce anything that would hamper his creativity and style. Aaron Copland is considered the Dean of American Music. With works such as Appalachian Spring, Fanfare for the Common Man, and El Salon Mexico, Copland uncovered the key to creating American nationalistic music. But the reason he was referred to as the Dean of American Music was based on the nearly 50 well-known music figures in America that owed their careers to either studying under or being mentored by Aaron Copland.
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 6 & 13, 1:30pm-2:45pm
