JOHNSON CITY - "Rags and Riches," a Ragtime lecture-recital, will be presented at East Tennessee State University on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Mathes Hall.
This free public Black History Month event features guest artist Dr. Paul Stewart, associate professor of Music at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. It is sponsored by the ETSU Department of Music, ETSU's African/African-American Studies Program and the Appalachian Music Teachers Association.
According to Stewart, "Ragtime was the first black music of the United States to achieve wide commercial popularity." It was also appreciated in Europe, influencing such major composers as Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky and Paul Hindemith. In addition, it inspired a new direction in American musical theater through the work of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and other masters of Broadway and in Europe through new theater forms by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill.
Following its conception and popularity from 1895-1915, Ragtime saw a revival in the 1960s with the publication of the New York Public Library's edition of Scott Joplin's collected works and with Max Morath's series of educational television programs on Ragtime. And, Joshua Rifkin's recordings led classical music audiences to "the majesty and strength of Ragtime as a pianistic form."
The 1973 hit movie "The Sting," starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman as avenging con artists, gave Ragtime a cultural boost with its strong soundtrack, and many composers continue "demonstrating how this most American of all native music speaks to us across the generations."
"Ragtime effected a total musical revolution - the first great impact of black folk culture on the dominant white middle-class culture of America," Stewart said. "As an aesthetic force, Ragtime communicated the intellectual and artistic abilities of the black man at a time of crisis and confusion in the racial history of the nation.
"One basic reason we continue the study and performance of Ragtime, some 100 years after its genesis and eminence, is to recognize the inspiration, complexity, appeal and vitality of the music. The story of Ragtime is a significant chapter in the history of 20th century American music."
In addition to presenting the lecture-recital, Stewart will conduct a free Piano Ragtime Pedagogy Workshop Saturday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. in Mathes Hall. He will provide the audience with historical examples of early Ragtime repertoire featuring the rags of Scott Joplin, followed by chronological musical examples from the 20th century which illustrate the influence of Ragtime. The discussion of style influence and pedagogical observations will include compositions by Debussy, Hindemith, Gershwin and others.
Stewart teaches piano and piano pedagogy and chairs the Keyboard Division in the Department of Music at UNC-Greensboro. He holds a bachelor's degree in piano performance and music education from Indiana University, a master's degree from the University of Illinois and a doctorate from Florida State University. He is president-elect of the Music Teachers National Association, which he has served on the regional level as Southern Division president and on the national level as board of directors member, foundation trustee, and convention and American music program chair. He has also served the North Carolina Music Teachers Association in a variety of capacities. As an active performer, he has appeared as a soloist with the North Carolina Symphony, given numerous solo and chamber music recitals, and appeared annually during UNC-Greensboro's three-day Focus on Piano Literature program.
For more information or for special assistance for those with disabilities, call the ETSU Department of Music at (423) 439-4418 or 439-4270. | 
