VOA慢速英语 华盛顿被子展尽显亚米西传统

　　(MUSIC: "The Entertainer")

　　Scott Joplin's music may be very well known, but much about his life remains a mystery.

　　Experts believe he was born in eighteen sixty-seven or eighteen sixty-eight. He was born in the state of Texas, probably near the border with Arkansas. He spent part of his childhood in the town of Texarkana.

　　Scott Joplin's father was a freed slave who worked for the railroad. His mother cleaned people's homes. She received permission for young Scott to play the piano in one of those homes. A German-born music teacher named Julius Weiss recognized the young boy's skill and gave him free music lessons. Scott's early training was in classical music.

　　Experts believe Scott Joplin left home in the eighteen eighties to travel through the Midwestern United States. In his twenties, he moved to Sedalia, Missouri. There, he played with different bands. They included a dance band called the Queen City Cornet Band and a singing group called the Texas Medley Quartette. When he was not traveling to perform, Joplin worked as a piano player in social clubs and took music classes.

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