Bix

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Recommended: Influence of jazz

Leon Beiderbecke, a musical prodigy, showed his talents from a very young age. His talents changed music, influencing composers for years after his early death.
Leon Beiderbecke was born on March 10, 1903 to Agatha and Bismarck Beiderbecke. The German-American family consisted of three children including Leon. Leon quickly disregarded his name and like his father and brother, picked up the nickname Bix. The Beiderbecke household was a very musical one; music was an extremely important part of the household. Bix took to piano at an extremely young age, his talents were soon discovered. He started taking lessons from a Professor Grade, a man with extreme appreciation of written music. Bix was gifted; he could listen to a song just once and play the song from his memory. This soon became a conflict between the two, for Bix could not read music, and quite enjoyed creating his own parts to a song. Professor Grade abruptly gave up teaching Bix, claiming he had no appreciation for written music and changed perfectly good music.
Leon’s older brother, Charles, started Bix’s love of Jazz. In 1918 Charles came home from the war bringing a jazz record with him allowing Bix to hear this music and fall in love with it. Bix bought a cornet from a friend and taught himself how to play; Bix had no instructor or book. This is the reason, many say, his sound was so different and unique.
Bix’s parents, watched him fall behind in school and decided he need a more rigorous schooling. Bix was sent off to a strict boarding school named Lake Forest Academy. Determined to focus on his studies he worked hard for sometime. The school, near Chicago, was nearby many other inspiring jazz musicians. The other musicians taken by his talents allowed him to p...

... middle of paper ...

...ar Bix started playing for the Camel Pleasure hour, and after some time he became unhappy with the blandness of the job leaving towards the end of 1930.
In 1930 Bix moved to New York and freelanced for various bands his alcoholic conditions began to get worse and would soon lead to his demise. On August 6, 1931 when Bix was still only at the age of twenty eight he passed away. Bix had collapsed in his apartment, the cause of death was lobar pneumonia but his overuse of alcohol also contributed to his death. His funeral was held in the Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport. The funeral was one of the most attended funerals in Davenports’ history, Bix would surely be missed.
Bix was an amazing musician with talents nearly unparalleled to anyone else. His talents is still prominent in music today, and he will be consider one of the great jazz musicians of the 1920’s.

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