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Irving Berlin - one of America's most prolific songwriters - a NEW talk on Zoom

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On Zoom, the author of this new book will summarize the life of Irving Berlin, who was born Israel Baline, and tell us about his improbable rise to become one of America's most prolific songwriters. Hear his hardscrabble journey from leaving home as a young teenager, to working as a song "busker" and discovering his innate talent for writing songs--despite a lack of musical education. Learn about the changing music industry from the thriving music sheet business of Tin Pan Alley, the advent of Ragtime, the start of the American musical, and the soundtracks for feature films--all of which Berlin influenced. Understand how he developed songs for the films of the Marx Brothers, Astaire and Rodgers, Ethel Merman, and more. We'll look at why "God Bless America" was considered an alternative to the national anthem yet was strongly disliked by the Right and the Left and why "White Christmas" soared to the top of the charts. You'll watch clips from a variety of songs, shows, and films Berlin composed, hear original recordings, and see historic photos.

To buy the book on Amazon, click HERE

Or buy directly from the Publisher HERE

Sharing this story with us will be presenter Paul Kaplan. Paul writes under 3 series: Cultural Guides, Social History & Biographies, and Business Technology Marketing. He has published 7 books from History Press, Pelican, and Quill Driver Books. He has given over 70 talks globally for venues including the clubs of Harvard, Yale, Nassau Club of Princeton, Union League, Society for Mechanics & Tradesmen, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Montauk Club, historic libraries and associations, schools, businesses, and private events. He has been featured on CBS Miami, PBS, New York Press, Amsterdam New York, Princeton Magazine and numerous radio shows including Writer’s Voice and America’s Dining and Travel. He also writes book reviews for Harvard Review. He earned a BA in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale College and an MBA from Yale School of Management. He enjoys traveling, having visited six continents and all 50 US states. Kaplan has worked in content marketing for 20+ years for financial and technology companies.

This presentation will last approximately 60 minutes with the chance to ask the author Questions afterwards.

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