May Louise Cooper Spindle (January 1, 1885 – October 1968)[1] was an American composer[2] and teacher[3] who wrote many pedagogical pieces for piano.[4]

Spindle was born in Muskegon, Michigan,[5] to Rosina H. Winters and Charles Bicknell Cooper. She married Lee Addison Spindle in 1911.[1]

Spindle began music lessons with her mother and later attended the Chicago Musical College. Her teachers included Felix Borowski, Glen Dillard, Laurence Powell, Hans von Schiller, Charles Vogan, and Max Wald.[6] She socialized with composer Eleanor Everest Freer.[7]

Spindle belonged to the American Society of Composers, Author, and Publishers (ASCAP), the Michigan Composers Club,[8] and the Music Teachers National Association.[9] In 1937, she was the Grand Rapids winner of the Michigan State Composers Contest.[10] She taught at Columbia University.[6]

Spindle's music was published by Bach Music Co./Harry Dellafield, Forster Music Publisher Inc., and Mills Music.[11][12] In addition to pedagogical pieces for piano,[4] her compositions included:

Chamber

edit
  • Caprice Espagnole (violin and piano)[13]

Orchestra

edit
  • Southlands Suite[14]

Organ

edit
  • Prelude of Spring[8]

Piano

edit
  • Bouncy Balls[6]
  • Holiday in Naples[12]
  • Parade of the Bunnies[6]
  • Ping Pong[6]
  • Somersaults Rndoletto: Study in Crossing Hands and Staccato[12]
  • Swaying Pussywillows[12]

Vocal

edit
  • “April Wind”[15]
  • “Christmas Roundelay”[6]
  • City Eternal (cantata)[6]
  • “God’s Gift Supreme”[6]
  • Moon Magic (arranged for 2 or 3-part chorus)[16]
  • My Dream Ship (arranged for 2, 3, or 4-part chorus)[17]
  • Pickaninny Song (text by Helen Von Kolnitz Hyer; arranged for 2 or 3-part chorus) (E)

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Spindle, Louise Cooper. "ancestry.com". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  2. ^ Stewart-Green, Miriam (1980). Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-8498-4. OCLC 6815939.
  3. ^ Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
  4. ^ a b Directory of American Women Composers. National Federation of Music Clubs. 1970.
  5. ^ Stern, Susan (1978). Women composers : a handbook. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1138-3. OCLC 3844725.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. Books & Music (USA). ISBN 978-0-9617485-1-7.
  7. ^ Freer, Eleanor Everest. "Books, Pamphlets and Periodicals". ucdavis. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  8. ^ a b Music Clubs Magazine: Official Organ. The Federation. 1949.
  9. ^ Association, Music Teachers National (1946). Volume of Proceedings.
  10. ^ Music Clubs Magazine. National Federation of Music Clubs. 1937.
  11. ^ Office, Canada Patent (1941). The Canadian Patent Office Record and Register of Copyrights and Trade Marks.
  12. ^ a b c d Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1953). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.
  13. ^ Music, University of Michigan School of (1931). School of Music Programs. University of Michigan School of Music.
  14. ^ Anderson, Ruth (1976). Contemporary American composers : a biographical dictionary. Boston: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-1117-0. OCLC 2035024.
  15. ^ Musical Leader. 1944.
  16. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1942.
  17. ^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1970). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.