...Now that the 21st century has begun, people often forget individuals and arts that helped shape what it is to be American art. One of these innovators was Duke Ellington, a composer, jazz pianist, and big band leader. No other artist single handedly has defined American Music as this jazz giant. He gave American music and jazzes an identity, the first true American art form. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, DC on April 29, 1889 to James Edward Ellington and Daisy Ellington. At the age of seven, the young Ellington began taking piano lessons from Marietta Clinkscalps. Both of his parents were pianists. James Edward Ellington preferred operatic bits as Daisy played primarily parlor tunes. At this point in his life, Edward Ellington was more interested in playing baseball with his mates rather than playing the piano. During this time in his childhood, Ellington would acquire his famous pseudonym “Duke.” The title came from his schoolmates. Edward was reared by his mother and her dignified friends. Through this, he developed a Great Gatsby esque demeanor demonstrating a sense of grandeur and grace similar to a noble gentleman of that era and ones forgotten. Many of his peers noticed and deemed him “Duke” Ellington. Ellington’s interest in the piano would not reemerge until he began sneaking into local pool halls looking for the thrills of an older lifestyle. Furthermore, while in those pool halls, he began listening to eclectic styles of the pool hall...
Words: 911 - Pages: 4
...Edward Duke Ellington was born April 29, 1899. He was born in Washington , D.C. His mother was Daisy Kennedy Ellington, his father was James Edward Ellington, his wife was Edna Thompson , and his son was Mercer Ellington. He led his orchestra until his death, his career spanning over 50 years. Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward , and gained a national profile through his orchestra’s appearances at the Cotton Club. Though widely considered to have been an important figure in the history of jazz, but it was Ellington who combined them into the best-known orchestral unit in the history of jazz. Ellington originated over a thousand compositions and his extensive work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, with...
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
...Shantae Todd Intro to Jazz History Mrs. Lester 29 January 2014 “Duke of Jazz” Duke Ellington was an American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, who were considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called "The Popular Duke Ellington." He was born Edward Kennedy Ellington on April 28, 1899 in Washington, D.C. to Daisy and James Ellington. They served as the ideal role models for young Ellington and taught him everything from table manners to the power of music. He was eight when he got his first piano lessons. By the age of fourteen, he was sneaking into Frank Holliday’s poolroom. He learned from his experiences in the poolroom how to appreciate the value of mixing with a wide range of people. He attended the Armstrong Manual Training School to study commercial art instead of an academically-oriented school. During the summer months, he would seek out and listen to ragtime pianists in Washington. He said he decided to become a musician when he realized that when playing the piano, there was always a pretty girl standing down at the bass clef end of the piano, thus the music career of Duke Ellington was born. He was called “Duke” because he was something of a dandy, with a love of fancy clothes and an elegant style. He retained...
Words: 768 - Pages: 4
...Starting Your Own Business Contents List of illustrations ix Preface xi 1 Getting Started 1 What's holding you back? 1 Learning to handle success 3 Overcoming the mental blocks 3 Fighting back 6 Checking your readiness 12 Case studies 13 Action points 15 2 Finding Ideas 16 Looking right in front of you 16 Cashing in on change 17 Carving a niche 18 Acquiring commercial skills 20 Working on your self-esteem 20 Choosing a trading name 21 Checking your readiness 24 Case studies 24 Action points 26 3 Creating a Winning Business Plan 27 Planning ahead 27 Making sure the plan is yours 30 Your blueprint for success 30 Getting help from the public sector 36 Getting help from the banks 36 Checklist 37 Constructing your 'blueprint for success' 38 Case studies 43 Exercises 45 4 Funding Your Enterprise 46 Getting your hands on some seed money 46 Start-up costs 46 Getting outside finance 49 Approaching the public sector 50 Approaching potential funders 54 The plan that will fix your funding 58 Presenting your case 61 Checklist 62 Case studies 63 Action points 65 5 Planning Ahead 66 Choosing a partner 66 Case studies: going into partnership 69 Measuring the competition 71 Competitive analysis 75 Finding the right premises 77 The systems you will need 79 Deciding your business status 80 Understanding the basics of taxation 81 Preparing to survive - and succeed 84 Case studies 85 Action points 87 6 Marketing Your Enterprise 89 Debunking...
Words: 51872 - Pages: 208
