George Gershwin is one of the most celebrated composers of modern times. He is famous for bridging the gap between jazz and classical music and for developing a new type of popular music that possessed a genuine, American voice. With pieces such as Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F he became the most played 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 Russian-born Morris and Rose Gershwin. Jewish immigrants arrived in America only a few years earlier. (Pollack) Gershwin had 3 brothers; 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 a rambunctious and rambunctious type. He played in the street and didn't pay much attention to his school work. He was often in trouble for not completing homework or for getting into fights. (Malchish) As a child, he did not consider himself interested in music, as such interest branded him as a sissy in his neighborhood. However, one day, when he was ten years old, George heard a wonderful sound near him. He discovered a classmate playing Dvorák's Humoresque on the violin. George was immediately entranced and waited an hour and a half in the rain to meet this boy and talk to him. The boy, named Max Rosen, quickly became friends with George and immersed him in the world of music. (Malchish)Soon George began writing his own songs and began submitting them to Rosen. However, Rosen very confidently told him simply, "You're not mad at... middle of 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. The Reader by George Gershwin. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.