Ruth Crawford

Ruth Crawford Seeger (born Ruth Porter Crawford; July 3, 1901 – November 18, 1953) was an American composer and folk music specialist. She was a prominent figure in the emerging modernist aesthetic and a central member of the 'ultramoderns' group of American composers. Crawford primarily composed during the 1920s and 1930s, but later focused on studying folk music. Born in East Liverpool, Ohio, she moved several times during her childhood, living in Akron, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri, and Muncie, Indiana. After her father's death, her mother opened a boarding house to support the family. Crawford's music influenced composers like Elliott Carter.