May Aufderheide facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
May Aufderheide
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | May Frances Aufderheide |
| Born | May 21, 1888 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 1972 (aged 84) Pasadena, California |
| Genres | Ragtime |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
May Frances Aufderheide Kaufman (born May 21, 1888 – died September 1, 1972) was an American composer. She is best known for writing ragtime music. Ragtime is a fun, lively style of music that was popular in the early 1900s.
May was one of the most famous female ragtime composers. She studied classical music and even traveled around Europe. But she chose to write ragtime music instead.
May was part of a group of ragtime musicians in Indianapolis. This group included other composers like Paul Pratt and J. Russel Robinson. When her first song, "Dusty," became popular, her father, John H. Aufderheide, started a music publishing company just for her songs.
Popular Ragtime Songs
May Aufderheide wrote many popular ragtime songs. After "Dusty," she published "Richmond Rag" and "The Thriller." "The Thriller" became one of her most famous pieces.
Other well-known songs she composed include "Buzzer Rag," "Blue Ribbon Rag," and "Novelty Rag." She also wrote some waltzes and other types of songs. For example, she wrote "I'll Pledge My Heart To You." She even made a song version of "A Totally Different Rag" with words added by Earle C. Jones.
May also worked with other musicians on songs. She wrote "I Want A Patriotic Girl" with Bobby Jones. She also wrote "I Want A Real Lovin' Man" with Paul Pratt. And she created "Dusty Rag" with J. Will Callahan.
Later Life and Family
May married Thomas M. Kaufman in 1908. This was the same year her first ragtime song was published. After they married, she moved to Richmond, Indiana. Her husband was an architect, just like his father.
May stopped publishing music early in her life. This was due to some challenges within her family. In 1947, May and her family moved to California. They lived in a home called "Rose Villa." May's husband designed this house. It was located near the Huntington Sheraton Hotel in Pasadena.
May lived to be 84 years old. She spent her last years using a wheelchair because of arthritis. She passed away in Pasadena, California. She is buried next to her husband in Mountain View Mausoleum in Altadena, California.
Images for kids
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Cover page for the sheet music of "The Buzzer Rag", 1909.
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Cover page to the sheet music of "Blue Ribbon Rag", 1910.
