It was at Columbia in 1968 that Dan Paget introduced me to ragtime. I can't believe I'd never heard the Maple Leaf Rag before, or any of the other fabulous ragtime classics. Conductor, composer and arranger Daniel Paget, one of America's finest ragtime pianists, discussed with me - that is, he told me - the right way to play it: 4-beats-to-a-bar and no swing. (Swing arrived during or after the war.) I was, and still am, a 78-rpm (old recordings) addict, and I went promptly to my catalogues in search of any pre-1914 ragtime piano disc recordings. There were (to my knowledge) none. So one had to be created, hence The 78 rpm Rag. The idea was to give a fair sample of old ragtime style, as heard on a scratchy record with all the flaws - repeating grooves, slipping pitch and distorted sound quality. I later discovered that the piece created even more confusion on the harpsichord. After I played this rag for the first time in 1968, my composition teacher, Otto Luening, came backstage and offered me a great compliment: "I didn't know you could write REAL music."