George Gershwin is one of the most famous composers of modern times. He is famous for bridging the gap between jazz and classical music and developing a new type of popular music with a truly American voice. With pieces such as Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F, he became the most performed American composer of all time. Although he has one of the most recognizable names in modern music, many people don't really know the story behind it all. Early years His childhood Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 26, 1898, to Morris and Rose Gershwin, of Russian origin. Jewish immigrants who arrived in America a few years earlier. (Pollack) Gershwin had 3 siblings; an older brother named Israel, although he was later named Ira, a younger brother named Arthur, and a younger sister named Frances. (Pollack) As a child, George was the rowdy and boisterous type. He played in the street and didn't pay much attention to his school work. He often got into trouble for not doing his homework or getting into fights. (Malchide) He did not consider himself interested in music as a child, as such interest marked him as a sissy in his neighborhood. However, one day, when he was ten years old, George heard a wonderful sound near him. He discovers a classmate who plays Dvorák's Humoresque on his violin. George was immediately fascinated and waited an hour and a half in the rain to meet this boy and talk to him. The boy, named Max Rosen, quickly becomes friends with George and immerses him in the world of music. (Malchis) Soon, George began writing his own pieces and began presenting them to Rosen. However, Rosen, with great confidence, simply said to him: “You don't have it in you... in the middle of a paper...... Gale. South Doyle High School. March 25, 2009.Pollack, Howard. George Gershwin: his life and work. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. Machlis, Joseph,. American composers of our time. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1963 “SONG PLUGGER (recording).” www.occupationalinfo.com. April 8, 2009. Ewen, David. “Gershwin, George.” American Encyclopedia. 2009. Grolier online. March 27, 2009. “Gershwin, Ira.” American Encyclopedia. 2009. Grolier online. March 27, 2009. Peyser, Joan. The Memory of It All: The Life of George Gershwin. New York: Billboard Books, 1998. Wyatt, Robert and John Andrew. Reader George Gershwin. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.