Who : Irving Berlin was known as one of the most fabulous American composer and lyricist. His lifetime marked a considerable milestone in American music history. Every song he wrote played a pivotal part in the Great American Songbook.
What : During his 60 years of contributing for artwork, he had approximately composed 1500 songs.
Loads of them not only built his fame as a legendary composer but also had been nominated eight times in Academy Awards.
When : Irving Berlin was born in 1888 and he died in 1989, at the age of 101.
Where : He was born in Russia in a Jewish cantor family, then in 1893 his family moved to New York city. Because of the hardship of his family after his dad died, he had to take various jobs. During this time, he began to approach music and soud through saloon and retstaurants.
Why : Jerome Kern had conceived that Irving Berlin was American music. Berlin had meticulously selected those simple and natural elements in English words to successfully form touching songs which took away numerous American hearts. And the way he wrote music remained the same from years to years made people remember his songs.
Come on and hear, come on and hear Alexander's Ragtime Band
Come on and hear, come on and hear 'bout the best band in the land
They can play a bugle call like you never heard before
So natural that you want to go to war
That's just the bestest band what am, oh honey lamb
Come on along, come on along, let me take you by the hand
Up to the man, up to the man who's the leader of the band
And if you care to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime
Come on and hear, come on and hear Alexander's Ragtime Band