LET'S FACE THE MUSIC

The 13^th February is a musical day and some outstanding performance writing.

Herbert

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, ASCAP, was founded by composer Victor Herbert in New York City, New York, on 13^th February, 1914, to protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members, who were mostly writers and publishers associated with New York City's Tin Pan Alley. ASCAP's earliest members included the era's most active songwriters — Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach, John Phillip Sousa and James Weldon Johnson. Subsequently, many other prominent songwriters became members. As of July 2009, ASCAP membership included over 360,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.

Berlin

Irving Berlin – whose songbook is probably unrivaled, including White Christmas, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, God Bless America, Blue skies, Cheek to Cheek, Heat Wave, Happy Holiday, Easter Parade, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Puttin’ on the Ritz and 800 plus others

Kern

Jerome Kern who wrote to music to a number of great songs including Smoke Gets in Your Eyes with lyrics by Otto Harbach, The Way You Look Tonight with lyrics by Dorothy Fields and The Last Time I Saw Paris with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein.

Harbach

Otto Harbach also wrote the lyrics to Cuddle up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine with music by Karl Hoschna. He collaborated often with Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II.

Souza

John Phillip Souza was the marching band king with The Liberty Bell march, known as the theme for Monty Python.

Johnson

James Weldon Johnson who wrote Lift Every Voice and Sing was an American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP, as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and collections of folklore. He was also one of the first African-American professors at New York University. Later in life he was a professor of creative literature and writing at Fisk University.