Rolande Maxwell Young facts for kids

Rolande Maxwell Young Schrade (1927 – 2015) was a talented American musician. She was a composer, pianist, and teacher. Rolande was also the leader of a musical family with five children.

She studied music at Catholic University of America and then at the Manhattan School of Music. Later, she learned from Vittorio Giannini at the Juilliard School, a very famous music school. In 1949, she married Robert Warren Schrade, who was also a well-known concert pianist.

Rolande made her first big performance as a pianist in New York in 1953. She played music by famous composers like Bach and Beethoven, and also some of her own songs. She was a member of ASCAP, an organization that protects the rights of musicians.

What Was Sevenars Concerts?

In 1968, Rolande and Robert started a special family concert series. It was in South Worthington, Massachusetts. In 1975, it became a non-profit organization called Sevenars Concerts, Inc.

The name "Sevenars" came from "seven Rs." These were Robert, Rolande, and their five children: Robelyn, Rhonda Lee, Rolisa, Randolph, and Rorianne. All of them performed in the concerts at different times.

A Musical Family

The Schrade family and their music festival became very famous. They were featured on radio and television and received great reviews from newspapers. The Schrades were the first family to be listed on the Steinway & Sons artist roster. This is a special list of musicians who play Steinway pianos.

The family grew even bigger when Robelyn married David James, a concert pianist from New Zealand. He joined the concerts, and so did their children, Lynelle and Christopher, when they grew up.

Rolande's Amazing Songs

Rolande wrote more than a hundred published and recorded songs. Some of her popular songs include "Sunshine and Rain" and "How Can I?". "How Can I?" sold over 500,000 copies in the 1950s!

She also wrote "When the Train Came in," which helped singer Teresa Brewer become famous. Other well-known songs were "There's a Dream in My Heart" and "Mighty Paul Bunyan."

Rolande also rewrote words and music for songs by Carrie Jacobs-Bond. She created many educational songs too. These songs helped inspire children during her years of teaching in New York schools.

She published two albums of her original songs: Songs for Special Days and America '76, A Bicentennial Salute in Song. She also wrote the "Allen-Stevenson Song" in 1969 for the Allen-Stevenson School in New York City. It is still their school song today! Rolande also composed the Worthington Bicentennial March for the town of Worthington, Massachusetts.

Rolande's Compositions

Here are some of the songs and pieces Rolande composed:

Piano Music

• Little Acorn Suite

Vocal Songs

• A is for America
• A Little Less "Please", A Little More "Thank You"
• Catch That Freedom Train
• "Do", See the Doughnut
• Don't Mention Me (recorded by Frankie Castro)
• The Footsteps of America
• Fortress of the Free
• From Your Heart (recorded by The Bachelors)
• Horn of Gold
• How Can I? (recorded by Bette McLaurin and Terri Stevens)
• The Lady on the Shore
• Look for Joy
• Mighty Paul Bunyan (recorded by Bobby Scott)
• My Category is Love (recorded by Tommy Mara)
• My Kingdom for a Kiss (recorded by Tommy Mara)
• Santa's Lost His Glasses
• Somehow There's Magic in You
• Song of Peace
• Sunshine and Rain (recorded by Teddy Bart and Bob Whalen)
• Tender Age
• The Good Song
• There's a Dream in My Heart (recorded by Jaye P. Morgan)
• There's a Tremolo in the Trees
• Things I Shouldn't Know (recorded by Jo Anne Lear)
• Vacation Song
• When the Train Came In (recorded by Teresa Brewer and others)
• Will the Real Santa Claus Stand Up?

Songs with Joe Leahy

Rolande also worked with Joe Leahy on these songs:

• My Category is Love
• My Kingdom for a Kiss
• Sun Valley Moon
• Sunshine Rain
• There's a Dream in My Heart
• Things I Shouldn't Know