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by Josephine Beeler, CRS Historian
2010
The Classic Ragtime Society was formed in
1978 and incorporated as a Not for Profit group in 1979. Its main purpose is
to perpetuate through education and live performance the unique style of
early American music known as “Rag Time,” circa 1890 through 1920. From rag
time came the styles of stride, folk rag, boogie woogie, early jazz and
blues.
The Society meets six times a year and the meetings include a brief business
report and a program featuring a well-known pianist who has made music of
this era a specialty and who can also speak about the composers and give some
background information on the life of the composer and the times in which they
lived and worked.
As the membership grew it was able to hold a yearly concert open to the
public. This acted as a fund-raising effort but also presented professional
ragtime performers who appeared at national and international festivals and
concerts. A few years ago it was decided to hold an annual weekend festival
where the Society could expand on the performances offered and include
vintage dance demonstration and instruction along with seminars on related
ragtime era subjects. The members of the Society cooperate in offering this
festival and volunteer their time to see that it is an event offering top
notch entertainment, suitable for family viewing and listening, and worthy to
be included in the Indianapolis Arts scene.
Attendance so far has comprised about 60% of people more than 50 years old
and about 40% of people less than 50. Total attendance for the seminars,
dance instruction and the concerts averages about 500. The festival audience
includes persons from other states as well as people in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
Some past performers featured in the festivals have been Frank French,
California, Scott Kirby, Idaho, and former music director of the Scott Joplin
Ragtime Festival, Mimi Blais, Montreal, Canada known as the Queen of Ragtime,
Glenn Jenks, Maine, a graduate of Hanover College in Richmond, Indiana, Brian
Holland, native-born Hoosier, now residing in Texas, Sue Keller, Chicago and
a graduate of Depauw University and Brian Keenan, young composer and
performer from Minnesota. All of these performers are classically trained
musicians and appear at concerts and festivals throughout the United States.
One of the aims of the Society is to be able to fund scholarship money for
piano students who will include the ragtime genre in their studies.
Ticket sales unfortunately do not completely cover all festival expenses and
corporate and private contributions help take up the slack. Without this
added financial help, the festival could not continue.
The Classic Ragtime Society of Indiana strives to keep alive the music and
memory of those who composed and performed their music in the ragtime era and
does much to enhance the enjoyment of all who come to meetings and the annual
festival. By offering live performances, not only do all who attend enjoy the
music, they also learn about a bygone era which is a fundamental part of our
American musical heritage.
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