Aaron Copland

(November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990)

American Composer

Aaron Copland as one of America’s greatest composers.

Aaron was born in 1900. It was the beginning of a new century and the age of

modern times.

Aaron grew up in Brooklyn, New York.Even though he was raised in a big city he was best known for sounds that were crisp, clear and simple. It brings out feelings of

being out west, at an exciting rodeo or in wide open spaces.

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City 1900

Aaron’s parents owned a big department store and the whole family helped out. Aaron often worked as a

salesman of the toy department.

Harris and Sarah Copland in front of their department store

1922

Aaron started to show an interest in music when he was about 7

years old. He spent many hours listening to records on a

new invention, the phonograph.

Aaron started taking piano lessons from his sister. He started making up his own songs right away. Aaron

persuaded his parent to send him to a “real” teacher when

he was a teenager.

At the beginning of the 20th Century there were many new inventions such as

electricity, the telephone, and moving pictures.

Artists and writers were also trying out modern ideas.

However many music lovers were satisfied listening to

music written years before by the great composers

such as Mozart and Beethoven.

Early telephone and light bulb

Aaron was twenty years old we he got the chance to study music in Paris, France from

Nadia Boulanger. He learned and respected the great

composers but also learned about modern music and

composers.As he traveled around Europe he

also heard musicians playing the new American music of

jazz.Aaron started to add elements of

jazz to the modern classical music he was writing. Aaron Copland

Aaron’s music was different from what many people were use to listening to. When the Boston Symphony played Aaron’s

Symphony for Organ and Orchestra many people didn’t like it and some of them even booed!

Aaron Copland writing music

In 1938 Aaron was asked to write the music for a ballet about

the legendary Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid.

Aaron uses pieces of American folk songs in his music for the ballet. You can hear familiar

tunes such as “Git Along Little Dogies” and “Bury Me Not on

the Lone Prairie.”People loved hearing familiar

songs within Aaron’s music.The common American felt they

could relate to the Aaron’s classical music.

Fanfare for the Common Man was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. It was inspired in part by a famous speech made earlier in the same year where vice

president Henry A. Wallace proclaimed the dawning of the "Century of the Common Man". The piece became very famous

and has been used in many movies, sporting events and important celebrations.

Aaron wrote many more famous, popular

pieces such as Rodeo, and Appalachian

Spring and Fanfare for the Common Man.

He also went to Hollywood and wrote

some music for the movies such as Of Mice and Men and Our Town. He even

won an Academy Award for the music he wrote for a movie

called The Heiress.

Copland working with the movies

Aaron spent the last years of his life teaching and conducting music.

Aaron Copland told his students to always be

original, to experiment with their music and to

make music that was part of the modern times.

Aaron was 90 years old when he died.

Statue of Aaron Copland