Ragtime Vignettes 

Before his passing in 1982, Tom Shea was a key Ragtime figure, synthesizing several turn-of-the-century styles in his compositions. Prairie Ragtime: the Music of Tom

Adam Swanson’s boisterous, exuberant original rag The Strater Shuffle is a treat. Its thick chords and “walking” left hand tenths are sonically influenced by Tom

As a young teenager simultaneously learning the mechanics of piano playing and falling in love with Ragtime, I would have benefited greatly by being introduced

James Scott’s Honey Moon Rag—published in 1916 by Stark Music Company—is a rarely-played Classic Ragtime gem. It possesses many of the characteristics of Scott’s trademark

Paul Orsi is a very entertaining musician. His sheet music folio Paul Orsi: the Early Years contains six delightful pieces. The simple Sunrise Rag is

David Thomas Roberts’ 2008 Wendy—an overlooked gem in the key of D-flat—is categorically similar to his more recent Romantic Ragtime works (e.g. Nahyr, Victorian Gardens,

Vincent Matthew Johnson (pictured) is one of the most accomplished Ragtime composers alive; though young, he has already written several masterpieces in both Classic and

Some of my favorite memories are of vacationing in Sedalia, Missouri, listening to live music while sipping cool limeade on the courthouse lawn—memories of summertime

Edward Maraga of El Sereno, California, has adroitly adopted the characteristics of Brun Campbell’s music—simplicity, directness, and undimmed cheerfulness—in his own compositions. The title of

Charles Hunter (1876-1906) is an important figure in Ragtime’s history, perhaps the greatest influence of today’s Folk Ragtime. His 1901 Cotton Bolls is a well-loved

Music enthusiasts interested in folk-flavored Ragtime should take a serious look at the work of Minnesotan Brian Keenan, whose The Wagon Wheel is a modern

It Gets Better by W. Brett Youens is one of the most well-written rags of the last decade to be composed in the ultra-refined, Joplinesque