Thomas Shea (composer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas William Shea was an American
ragtime
composer
.
Born in Mattoon, Illinois
, United States
, Shea studied piano briefly as a child, but later became interested in ragtime after hearing the "Maple Leaf Rag
." After learning some ragtime by ear, he started composing his own rags. His style has been informally called "Prairie Ragtime." He was active in ragtime circles in the Detroit area and expanded his exposure to ragtime and its proponents by attending ragtime festivals in St. Louis. In 1970 he moved to Raleigh, North Carolina
. He is known to have composed over twenty rags, some of which are often performed today ("Brun Campbell Express," "Rosebud Rag," "Corncracker Rag," "Little Wabash Special") and two of which were published ("Brun Campbell Express" in They All Played Ragtime, Oak Publications, New York, 1966; and "Trillium Rag" in Max Morath
's Guide to Ragtime, Hollis Music, Inc., New York, 1964). He recorded three album
s which contain his compositions: Classic and Modern Rags (Ragtime Society Records RSR-1, 1963), Prairie Ragtime (Ragtime Society Records RSR-2, 1964) and Little Wabash Special (Stomp Off Records, SOS-1022, 1982).
Shea died in Raleigh from a heart attack
in March 1982.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Born in Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,555 as of the 2010 census. It is a principal city of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.Mattoon was the site of the "Mad Gasser" attacks of the 1940s....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Shea studied piano briefly as a child, but later became interested in ragtime after hearing the "Maple Leaf Rag
Maple Leaf Rag
The "Maple Leaf Rag" is an early ragtime musical composition for piano composed by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, and is one of the most famous of all ragtime pieces, and became the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent composers. As a result Joplin was called the "King...
." After learning some ragtime by ear, he started composing his own rags. His style has been informally called "Prairie Ragtime." He was active in ragtime circles in the Detroit area and expanded his exposure to ragtime and its proponents by attending ragtime festivals in St. Louis. In 1970 he moved to Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. He is known to have composed over twenty rags, some of which are often performed today ("Brun Campbell Express," "Rosebud Rag," "Corncracker Rag," "Little Wabash Special") and two of which were published ("Brun Campbell Express" in They All Played Ragtime, Oak Publications, New York, 1966; and "Trillium Rag" in Max Morath
Max Morath
Max Morath is an American ragtime pianist, composer, actor and author. He is best known for his piano playing, and is referred to as "Mr. Ragtime". He has been a devoted and prolific performer, writing several plays and productions, as well as being variously a recording artist, actor and radio...
's Guide to Ragtime, Hollis Music, Inc., New York, 1964). He recorded three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s which contain his compositions: Classic and Modern Rags (Ragtime Society Records RSR-1, 1963), Prairie Ragtime (Ragtime Society Records RSR-2, 1964) and Little Wabash Special (Stomp Off Records, SOS-1022, 1982).
Shea died in Raleigh from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in March 1982.