Cheyenne WilliamsMrs. FishEnglish 3 G-518 March 2014George Gershwin: American composer and pianistGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. He expressed his times through his music. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and the opera Porgy and Bess. His compositions have been adapted for use in many films and for television, and many have become jazz standards recorded in many different ways. His compositional style was somewhat similar to his jazz piano improvisations in that he “varied” the melodies more than he “developed” them. Gershwin was successful as both a popular singer-songwriter and a concert hall composer. George Gershwin was born on September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the second eldest of four children. Growing up in New York he was influenced early on by the music around him. Some genres included the early jazz of African Americans and the Eastern European sounds of his Jewish heritage. (Macmillan/McGraw-Hill) Some would say George was a hyperactive child. George's father once predicted that the trouble-prone boy would "grow up to be a bum." (Saturday Evening Post. 80-80) He would later go on to prove everyone wrong. In 1910, when Gershwin was 12 years old, his family purchased an upright piano in their home on the Lower East Side of New York City. (Saturday Evening Post.80-80) He began his musical education at thirteen. At fifteen he left high school to work as a pianist and song-plugger for music publishers. (George Gershwin) Many people went to the store to buy sheet music. He played the newest songs for customers. (Macmillan/McGraw-Hill) At the age of sixteen, he began working for a Remick publishing house in New York. He played the piano for... middle of paper... it is the most accurate, scholarly, faithful and high-integrity work that has ever been done with piano rolls.'' (Walsh, Michael Levy, Daniel S.)Work citedmacmillanmh.com. 2006. March 4, 2014. . www.dsokids.com. March 4, 2014. February 27, 2014. . www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com. March 4, 2004. March 1, 2014. . www.pbs.org. June 7, 2006. March 4, 2014. .Walsh, MichaelLevy, Daniel S. "Gershwin, by George." Time 143.5 (1994):113. Central Research Plus Network. March 18, 2014. Oxford, Edward. "Gershwin's Rhapsody." American History 33.4 (1998): 16.Middle Search Plus. Network. March 18. 2014.