What is Aaron Copland?
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} [[File:Aaron Copland 1970.JPG|thumb|200px|Copland in 1970]] '''Aaron Copland''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|p|l|ə|n|d}}, {{respell|KOHP|lənd}};<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/copland-aaron.html |title=Copland, Aaron |website=InfoPlease}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/pronunciation/english/aaron |title=Aaron Copland – Pronunciation – Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary |publisher=OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com}}</ref> November 14, 1900{{spaced ndash}}December 2, 1990) was an [[Americans|American]] [[composer]] who wrote modern music. Aaron Copland wrote many kinds of [[music]]. He wrote music for the [[orchestra]], [[piano]], and [[voice]]. He wrote music for [[theater|plays]], [[movies]], and [[dance]]. Copland also was a [[Conducting|conductor]], [[pianist]], [[speaker]], [[teacher]], and [[writer]]. Music critics say Copland taught Americans about themselves through his music. He used parts of many old American [[folk music|folksongs]] in his work. He wanted to do this after studying music in [[France]]. He said that composers there had a very French way of writing music. He said Americans had nothing like that in this country. So he decided to compose music that was truly American. == Early days of Copland == Aaron Copland was born November 14, 1900 in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. He died at the age of 90 on December 2, 1990. He was the youngest of five children. His parents had come to the [[United States]] from eastern [[Europe]]. They owned a store in Brooklyn. Aaron began playing the piano when he was a young child. He wrote his first song for his mother when he was eight years old. His dreams of becoming a composer began when he was young. When he was sixteen, he asked his parents to let him study composing with Rubin Goldmark. Goldmark had taught the composer [[George Gershwin]]. When he was in his early twenties, Copland went to [[Paris]], [[France]], where he studied music with [[Nadi