Scott Joplin personified ragtime; he was its chief champion, the figure most closely associated with its composition. It was Joplin's short, hard-driving melodies- -and the syncopated backbone he ...

TEXARKANA, Ark. - The annual Texarkana celebration of Scott Joplin's birthday will not include a fancy shindig with the ragtime composer's music, but events to honor this seminal figure in music ...