Mildred Weston Explained

Mildred Weston Rogers (May 1892 - February 6, 1975) was an American composer^[1] best known for a number of children's pedagogical piano suites.

Not to be confused with American poet Mildred Weston (1905-1998)

Biography

Weston was born in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, to William and Anna Weston. She graduated from the Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham University) in Pittsburgh in 1913,^[2] studying under T. Carl Whitmer.^[3] She pursued further studies at the New England Conservatory of Music.^[4]

After college, Weston taught music to kindergardeners at Miss Simonson's School in Pittsburgh. This experience informed the composition of a number of programmatic and pedagogical suites for piano, many of which were published by the Arthur P. Schmidt company (now Summy Birchard).^[5]

Weston married William G. Rogers, an author and newspaper editor, on Oct 5, 1934 in Springfield.^[6]

Selected works

Her works include:

Piano

• Ten Fingers At the Zoo (1919)^[7]
• Under the Christmas Tree (1920, Theodore Presser Co)
• About Fairies (1922, Arthur P. Schmidt)
• In an Apple Orchard (seven piece suite)^[8]
• Slumber Song: Pyrenees Folk Tune (1923, published by Carl Fischer)^[9]
• Sandman (1925)^[10]
• Toys: A Suite for the Piano (1923, published by John Church)^[11] This suite was in the first grade of the New England Conservatory's piano teaching curriculum in 1929.^[12]
• Red Riding Hood (published by John Church)
• Under an April Sky (seven piece suite)^[13]
• Under the Christmas Tree (1922)^[14] The eleven pieces are: Hobby Horse, A Doll That Goes to Sleep,The Tinkle-Tinkle Box, In a Little White Cradle, The Big Red Drum, Wooden Soldiers, Taps, The Little Pop-Gun, Jumping Jack, Candle Lighting Time, and Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Tree.
• Goldilocks (1927, published by Arthur P. Schmidt)^[15]
• The Village Green (1930, Arthur P. Schmidt)^[16]
• Cinderella: A Fairy Tale (1931, Carl Fischer)
• Swaying Willows: Novelty Dance on Black Keys (1934, Carl Fischer)

Prose

• Carnival Crossroads: The Story of Times Square (with her husband William G. Rogers)^[17]
• music criticism for New Yorker magazine (1945)^[18]

Vocal

• Carol to the Child (1971)^[19]
• Holy Family Carol (SATB; 1941)^[20]

References

1. Book: Cohen, Aaron I.. International encyclopedia of women composers. 1987. 0-9617485-2-4. Second edition, revised and enlarged. New York. 16714846.
2. Book: Pennsylvania College for Women Alumnae Recorder . June 1920 . Pennsylvania College for Women . Jeffery . Ruth . 50 . Kim . Carrie E. . Coburn . Elvira Estep . Paul . Josephine B..
3. News: February 1925 . Worth-While American Composers (No. 15 in a Series of Biographical Sketches) - Mildred Weston . XXX . 34 . y . The Musician . 2 . Kempf . Paul .
4. News: February 8, 1975. Obituary: Mildred Weston. Altoona Mirror Newspaper. September 18, 2020.
5. Web site: Special Collections in Music:Music Division . 2020-09-22 . memory.loc.gov.
6. News: Mildred Weston a Bride. . en . The New York Times . 2023-12-19.
7. Book: The Musician. 1921. Hatch Music Company. en.
8. Web site: 27 Apr 1929, Page 15 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at Newspapers.com. 2020-09-22. Newspapers.com. en.
9. Web site: Slumber song : Pyrenees folk tune : for piano WorldCat.org . 2023-12-19 . search.worldcat.org . en.
10. Book: Office, Library of Congress Copyright. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1952. en.
11. Book: Music Trades. 1923. Music Trades Corporation. en.
12. Book: New England Conservatory of Music . New England Conservatory of Music concert programs . 1929 . New England Conservatory of Music . New England Conservatory Library . 280.
13. Web site: 7 Mar 1926, Page 65 - Pittsburgh Daily Post at Newspapers.com. 2020-09-22. Newspapers.com. en.
14. Book: The Etude Music Magazine. 1922. T. Presser Company. en.
15. Earhart . Will . 1928 . Review of The Witmark Classic Chorales . Music Supervisors' Journal . 15 . 2 . 93–94 . 10.2307/3382545 . 3382545 . 145794177 . 1559-2472.
16. Lockhart . Lee M. . 1931 . Review of The Moore Band Course . Music Supervisors' Journal . 17 . 3 . 72 . 10.2307/3383521 . 3383521 . 221046398 . 1559-2472.
17. Book: Rogers. William Garland. Carnival Crossroads: The Story of Times Square. Weston. Mildred. 1960. Doubleday. en.
18. Book: The New Yorker. 1945. F-R Publishing Corporation. en.
19. Book: Office, Library of Congress Copyright. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1971. en.
20. Book: Orchestra, Boston Symphony. Programme. 1941. The Orchestra. en.