preview

Irving Berlin Contributions

Decent Essays

Irving Berlin made important contributions to musicals and music writing. After his background information is provided, the prior sentence will be proven by using examples of the songs he made as a ‘freelance’ songwriter, a songwriter for Broadway musical productions’, and Hollywood Musical productions, the popularity of the songs, and the awards.
Israel Berlin who we now know as Irving Berlin, was born May 11th, Eighteen 1888, in the town of Tyumen, a Siberian city in Russia. He was the one out of eight children. His father, Moses Baline, was a Cantor in the Jewish Synagogue, and his mother was Lena Lipkin Baline During the time he lived in Russia, he and his family were treated terribly, for the fact that Russia was at that time attacking the Jews and the Jewish community. The only thing he remembered about Russia was when an Anti-Semitic group burned down his house, and he sat in front of his house all night watching it burn. In circa 1883 his family moved to Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States of America via Ellis Island. Everyone in his family regardless of age, except for practical reasons such as an infant, had to work. Although his family was very poor, he did not seem to notice. His father was a very strict Jew and would punish his children with beatings even for as simple of a reason as taking their shoes off in an unorthodox way. He worked odd jobs until he was eight years of age, when his father died, he became a street singer while doubling as

Get Access