Henry Oxley

Henry has lived a life full of classical music and productions.

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 is the beat of classical music and marches, perfectly in sync. Soon, the time came, and there was a significant change in the music. There was a mystery of what offbeat music could be, and that’s exactly what the new era of ragtime was: it was solely offbeat and easy to dance to. Doctors would say it was bad for the health and the heart, but soon this music would evolve into the music there is today.

Ragtime is something special in senior Henry Oxley’s life; he is inspired by the original artists like Scott Joplin. However, Henry finds himself slightly alone in his world of classical music; there aren’t many people he has to connect with ragtime, and most often he hears of people who don’t enjoy listening to it. Over the years, Henry has found a special importance in ragtime music, and he finds joy in learning about the musicians.

“I have a great deal of respect for old musicians,” Henry said. “If you look at ragtime, it’s Black music made by Black people. If you look at Scott Joplin, he was the son of freed slaves and grew up very, very poor…His mother had to start cleaning houses that had a piano so he could practice piano as a child… yet he still grew to be so great. He grew to completely redefine what it meant to play piano and change piano music, and I really respect that.”

With Henry having ragtime hold a special place in his heart, it’s hard for him to know it’s something people often overlook, although he believes the music should still be brought to life and shared among people. Henry enjoys this music through his piano; he spends a lot of his free time playing his two main genres, ragtime and jazz.

“I don’t have anyone to talk to about ragtime piano in my life,” Henry said, “because who else plays ragtime piano around Ada, Michigan… so I am really, really alone in this.”

The sense of loneliness in the love of ragtime is something Henry finds himself caught up in. He doesn’t find many people at all who enjoy the music as much as he does; however, these lonesome feelings he has do not stop him from loving this music and continuing to play it anyway.

“[When listening to ragtime,] it just feels so light and so free; I feel like I am in a saloon or something,” Henry said. “I feel like I am at a speakeasy and there are all these drunk people around dancing the Charleston.”

Henry doesn’t find himself wanting to dance very often; however, while he can’t exactly attend a prohibition-era bar when he hears this ragtime music, he wants to get up and dance to the fun-sounding rhythm. Ragtime was the start of the music that people would find themselves dancing to, like jazz and swing. He wants to see more people sharing the love of this fun music.

“People nowadays just don’t appreciate the classics,” Henry said. “I’m a great fan of movies of the 40s, 50s, and 60s… and people nowadays just don’t like them. They just want to go out, and they want to watch their stupid Avengers and other dumb stuff.”

Because of the decline of attention spans in the contemporary age, people will no longer sit down and appreciate something meaningful or classic anymore. Henry hopes he can find people who enjoy classic music and productions as much as him, so he is not alone in his world of music.

Henry has a lot of passion for the music department as he also plays the piano in FHC’s jazz band. He has been playing piano since first grade, when his mom, who also played the piano, had him take a piano class. He grew to love it over the years, and middle school is when his true love for it began to grow. He imagined that if he got good at the piano, he could do great things. Henry started playing ragtime only a few years ago; his journey in playing this music is just beginning.

“[My mom] wants me to learn rock,” Henry said. “Like Billy Joel, but I think it’s kind of corny.”

Henry’s mom had played a huge role in the start of Henry’s piano career. However, she does not like ragtime music and most often does not allow it to be played in his house; instead, she wants him to learn more rock.

Henry has a connection with his piano; he strives to get better but never wants to be famous, as his parents would also disapprove of that. However, his jazz teacher suggests that he could play in a bar or something similar. However, Henry isn’t quite sure he’s good enough for that.

“[The piano is] a good deal of fun,” Henry said. “You know, it’s something to do when I’m bored. I can sit down on the keyboard and play, and it feels a lot more productive than going on my phone. It’s really fun to play good music.”

With Henry’s love of ragtime and his piano, even though he seems alone, he would never wish to be in a different generation. He has a wish for people not to forget what was done in the past, instead of fully moving forward to what’s new. 

“I don’t think I was born in the wrong generation; I think I grew up in the right generation,” Henry said. “This generation’s got my phone, which is convenient for me… Time moves so fast, I suppose, and people are always picking up the next thing and putting down the old thing.”