Lily Strickland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lily Strickland
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Born | Anderson, South Carolina
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January 28, 1884
Died | June 6, 1958 Hendersonville, North Carolina
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(aged 74)
Nationality | American |
Education | Converse College, Institute of Musical Arts (later Juilliard) |
Known for | Music Composition, Watercolorist |
Spouse(s) |
Joseph Courtenay Anderson
(m. 1912–1958) |
Lily Strickland (born January 28, 1884 – died June 6, 1958) was a talented American artist. She was a composer, a painter, and a writer.
About Lily Strickland
Lily Strickland was born in Anderson, South Carolina, on January 28, 1884. She started playing the piano when she was just six years old. As a teenager, she began writing her own music. Lily studied piano and composition at Converse College. In 1905, she won a special scholarship. This allowed her to study at the Institute of Musical Arts in New York City. This school later became the famous Juilliard.
In 1912, Lily married Joseph Courtenay Anderson. He was an English teacher. In 1920, Lily and Joseph moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in India. They lived there for ten years. During this time, Lily traveled a lot in Africa and Asia. She painted many pictures and wrote articles for American magazines. In 1924, Converse College gave her an honorary doctorate in music. This was to celebrate her success as a composer.
Her Musical Journeys
Lily Strickland wrote music for silent movies. She also created many art songs and piano pieces. She was one of the first "ethnomusicologists." This means she studied music from different cultures. She wrote about her experiences with music from around the world. She was a special writer for The Music Courier magazine.
Her articles shared what she learned about music in different places. For example, she wrote about music in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). She also wrote about music at Hindu Temples. She described "Natuch" dancing and music played by snake charmers. Lily even wrote about "devil dancing" and Tibetan Buddhist music. She also shared stories about music related to Krishna. She published similar articles in The Etude magazine. This magazine also featured her own musical works.
Later Life
After their time in India, the Andersons returned to New York. In 1948, they moved to a farm near Hendersonville, North Carolina. Lily Strickland passed away on June 6, 1958.
Her Creative Works
Lily Strickland published 395 musical pieces. These included popular songs, religious music, and songs for children. Her early music was inspired by spirituals and folk songs from the American South. Later, her travels influenced her work. She began to include sounds from Asian and African music.
Some of her well-known musical works include:
- Mah Lindy Lou
- Ballade of la belle dame sans merci (Words by John Keats)
- Love wakes and weeps (Words by Sir Walter Scott)
- My lover is a fisherman (from her collection Songs of India)
You can still hear Lily Strickland's music today. Some of her pieces have been recorded on CDs. One example is AMERICAN INDIANISTS, Vol. 2, released in 1996.
Lily was also a very active painter. She created many beautiful watercolor paintings. Most of these were made when she was traveling abroad. The largest collection of her paintings is at the Anderson University Art Museum. This museum is in Anderson, South Carolina.