Richard Rodgers Research Paper
I’m doing my biography over Richard Rodgers an American Composer born in Queens, New York on June 28, 1902. He was a pioneer and crafting his musical world by integrating stories form books and plays and creating seamless story telling from some speeches to songs being sung. He was your idealist of a great musician, everyone loved to hear his music all over the world. He won all the musical awards that anyone can think of to show he was the great composer he is. Rodgers was the second child born to William and Mamie Rodgers. He was raised in a house full of drama filled people with non-stop arguing and fighting. They lived in Queens at friend’s house for the summer but later move to Manhattan. Not knowing it while he was just born that his
fellow co-writers were just a few blocks up the way from where he lived. The two other song writers name was Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. They later too became interested in music just as Richard did, and began to pursue that dream to become a musician. He came from a music theatre house hold which consisted of his parents performing on broadway shows, and his grandparents were doing opera, so it’s in his genes that music was his better route for a profession. He was taught to play the piano at a young age and ever since then music stuck with him. He attended a summer camp which provided him with more music knowledge he had composed his first melody. At that young age of 15 he discovered music was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He went to Columbia University where he wrote for the schools shows and most of it’s theatre production. His older brother Mortimer was the one that introduced him to Oscar Hammerstein II, and his brothers friend introduced him to Lorenz Hart. Hart later died so Rodgers didn’t get to work with Hart as much as he wanted to. Lorenz was 7 years older than Rodgers, who was 15 years old begin their music collaboration. Richard was the composer and Lorenz was the lyricist. Their first hit was call “Manhattan” in 1925, and many others was a big hit in the United States. He also collaborated with Hammerstein in 1942, when Lorenz began to become ill at a point. That collaboration between him and Hammerstein lasted for 18 years until his death in 1960. After the death of the people he started with he gave thanks to those who helped him change the way he had done it before they came into his life. Before the death of Hammerstein, Rodgers and him wrote a hit single called “Oklahoma” which also came after that was a business of their own, which they had maximum control over all their work. They had become the dynamic duo if we could say because they produced hit after hit.
Later he was awarded many awards anyone can think of such as the Tonys, Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and tow Pulitzer Prizes, and also a lot of honorary awards. He was definitely a giving back type of person. He created awards and scholarships for artists at the Juilliard School of Music, American Theater Wing, and American Academy of Dramatic Art.
After being diagnosed with cancer in his jaw he later died in the same area he grew up in New York City in 1979. He was cremated and his ashes of his body was scattered at sea from his wife Dorothy. He also had two daughters Mary and Linda which wanted to continue their dads legacy and it was a success for them. Mary composed many different musical components. She too earned awards from her own things. His production after death was very important; Richard was later awarded highest honor and a theater was named after him in Manhattan and he built a million dollar recreation center and theater in Harlem.
fellow co-writers were just a few blocks up the way from where he lived. The two other song writers name was Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. They later too became interested in music just as Richard did, and began to pursue that dream to become a musician. He came from a music theatre house hold which consisted of his parents performing on broadway shows, and his grandparents were doing opera, so it’s in his genes that music was his better route for a profession. He was taught to play the piano at a young age and ever since then music stuck with him. He attended a summer camp which provided him with more music knowledge he had composed his first melody. At that young age of 15 he discovered music was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He went to Columbia University where he wrote for the schools shows and most of it’s theatre production. His older brother Mortimer was the one that introduced him to Oscar Hammerstein II, and his brothers friend introduced him to Lorenz Hart. Hart later died so Rodgers didn’t get to work with Hart as much as he wanted to. Lorenz was 7 years older than Rodgers, who was 15 years old begin their music collaboration. Richard was the composer and Lorenz was the lyricist. Their first hit was call “Manhattan” in 1925, and many others was a big hit in the United States. He also collaborated with Hammerstein in 1942, when Lorenz began to become ill at a point. That collaboration between him and Hammerstein lasted for 18 years until his death in 1960. After the death of the people he started with he gave thanks to those who helped him change the way he had done it before they came into his life. Before the death of Hammerstein, Rodgers and him wrote a hit single called “Oklahoma” which also came after that was a business of their own, which they had maximum control over all their work. They had become the dynamic duo if we could say because they produced hit after hit.
Later he was awarded many awards anyone can think of such as the Tonys, Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and tow Pulitzer Prizes, and also a lot of honorary awards. He was definitely a giving back type of person. He created awards and scholarships for artists at the Juilliard School of Music, American Theater Wing, and American Academy of Dramatic Art.
After being diagnosed with cancer in his jaw he later died in the same area he grew up in New York City in 1979. He was cremated and his ashes of his body was scattered at sea from his wife Dorothy. He also had two daughters Mary and Linda which wanted to continue their dads legacy and it was a success for them. Mary composed many different musical components. She too earned awards from her own things. His production after death was very important; Richard was later awarded highest honor and a theater was named after him in Manhattan and he built a million dollar recreation center and theater in Harlem.