# Can anyone ID this (ragtime?) music, from sheet music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610 "2014-05-04T01:37:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/1 "2014-05-04T01:37:43Z")
Like the title says, would anyone here happen to be able to [identify a “rag” from this sheet music](http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/ranchoth/MadsciBoilerplateRag_zps8fbf4f07.png)? It’s from a 2009 steampunk sci-fi book, “Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel,” written as a coffee table history book about a (fictional) Victorian robot. The piece illustrated is _titled_ the “Boilerplate Rag,” but as I can’t read music, I can’t tell if that’s an actual original piece, just a retitled period song, a retitled _anachronistic_ song put in as a joke (“[Freebird](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY),” maybe?), or even just complete gibberish. So…can any brass-goggled boffins or bodgers out there lend this old swot a hand? ---
**Author:** ![baronsabato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/2 "2014-05-04T01:45:35Z")
Unfortunately, I can’t ID it, but it’s almost definitely ragtime, and isn’t one of the major Joplin rags, like the Entertainer or Maple Leaf Rag (I can recognize those). Sorry I can’t be more helpful! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/3 "2014-05-04T01:47:15Z")
I’ll probably be scooped here, as this will take me some time, but I’ll jam the music into a music processing program, and then try to find some way to make the .mid sound file available. Um… I know how to share photos, as in Photobucket, but where’s a good place to share sound files? ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/4 "2014-05-04T02:24:50Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Um… I know how to share photos, as in Photobucket, but where’s a good place to share sound files? [https://soundcloud.com/](https://soundcloud.com/) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/5 "2014-05-04T03:29:55Z")
A musician friend says it’s a rag in G major written for the piano. He says it’s familiar but he doesn’t know the name. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/6 "2014-05-04T04:11:15Z")
I did a quick Google on the name Mark Nuismer and it looks like he’s a legit composer. Maybe he wrote it on commission? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/7 "2014-05-04T04:18:50Z")
FWIW, the author is [Mark Nuismer](http://ragtimepiano.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html) who is the founder of the Portland (OR) Ragtime Society. I’d bet my eyeteeth it’s an original piece–why would a ragtime virtuoso have to fake it? Since it’s included in a coffee-table book, and since the copyright date is bogus (1903), and since JJ Abrams is making a movie about the fictional robot, I can’t imagine the legalities involved if it isn’t an original “rag.” I’d also bet you can contact him yourself and ask him. Researching this was fun, thanx. I love ragtime. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/8 "2014-05-04T15:08:21Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I love ragtime. 🙂 I know women who hate it. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/9 "2014-05-04T15:21:05Z")
^Testify, my friend! Mrs. Burpo is college-educated piano and she can barely stand it. :o What do THEY know? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/10 "2014-05-07T06:06:37Z")
FWIW, I worked from the sheet music in a music processor, and uploaded the mp3 file to soundcloud. (Thanks, **Anamorphic**!) [If it works at all, here is the location.](https://soundcloud.com/hexagon-dampfleur/boilerplate-rag-by-mark-nickgreen) About three minutes. It’s a bit tinny, and I can’t vouch for all of the notes; the pdf of the sheet music was kinda smallish. But, hey, I had fun! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/11 "2014-05-07T07:41:06Z")
Trinopus– That was effin fantastic, man! Thanks for all that effort. I’ve plugged Ragtime note-for-note into sequencers, and it ain’t easy. Kudos! ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/12 "2014-05-07T08:58:26Z")
Wow—incredible! I’m in your debt. 🆒 Again, thank you, all! I love this place. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/13 "2014-05-07T09:05:12Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I know women who hate it. > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^Testify, my friend! Mrs. Burpo is college-educated piano and she can barely stand it. :o What do THEY know? Ummm…I don’t think he was talking about the music. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/14 "2014-05-07T13:29:21Z")
ThelmaLou…you…are…so…BAD! What would Deputy Fife say? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/15 "2014-05-07T13:38:49Z")
Cripes! Johnny L.A., you whooshed me big time–I bow to the master. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/16 "2014-05-07T13:46:23Z")
Never heard it before but, my word, you can play a bit can’t you? I kept listening all the way to the end although I had no idea what it is. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/17 "2014-05-07T14:01:36Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Never heard it before but, my word, you can play a bit can’t you? The song was input note-by-note (sequenced) into the computer, not actually played live. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/18 "2014-05-07T14:05:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The song was input note-by-note (sequenced) into the computer, not actually played live. I was talking to the computer. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/19 "2014-05-07T14:08:02Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > FWIW, I worked from the sheet music in a music processor, and uploaded the mp3 file to soundcloud. (Thanks, **Anamorphic**!) > > [If it works at all, here is the location.](https://soundcloud.com/hexagon-dampfleur/boilerplate-rag-by-mark-nickgreen) Chrome is refusing to load that page due to malware detection. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610/20 "2014-05-07T14:19:42Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I was talking to the computer. Ah, is that a “bit” pun? Carry on, then. (My Chrome is loading the song up fine. It’s just a soundcloud link.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-id-this-ragtime-music-from-sheet-music/687610.md?page=2)