Scott Joplin

So nice to finally have a piano at home. I immediately printed out all my old favorites, from Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata, Chopin's etudes (fingers hurt!) and nocturnes, Debussy's Clair de Lune, to Rachmaninoff's intense preludes... then I peeked into the territory that my piano teacher forbit me to enter: Jazz. To be more specific, Ragtime music by Scott Joplin. For some reason, I had a copy of The Entertainer lying around, so I started to play it when taking a break from Chopin's finger-bleeding etudes (oh Op. 10 No. 4, why do you hurt so much?). Then out of curiosity, I looked up what other music Joplin has composed, then I found the Maple Leaf Rag and Fig Leaf Rag. Both are just wonderfully cheerful and easy to play. Now I am hooked! The music is so bouncy and addictive, that even when on my businss trip this past week, I can't help but move my fingers and hum the tune of Joplin's music.

Now I know why my teacher didn't want me to touch any of these before. They are easy to pick up and very addictive :-)