Have We Been Playing Gershwin Wrong for 70 Years?

Earlier this week in my Music classes we talked about the significance of George Gershwin and his compositions. Gershwin is seen as one of the most influential early American composers. His jazzy, lyrical works have been cemented in American musical culture for the past 70 years. This article talks about how in one of Gershwin’s most famous works, “An American in Paris,” the composer calls for a “french taxi horn” part. This is obviously not a standard musical instrument used in classical music. The article claims that for the past 70 years, performers have been using notes that are incorrect to what Gershwin would have actually intended. This article is connected to my studies as a music major because it shows that we are still learning and discovering new things about music. This suggests to me that my education at Ole Miss is important because soon it will be my responsibility as well as my peer’s to continue the study of music. We will be responsible for interpreting new meanings behind music, as well as continuing to teach about the culture provided by modern American music.