On November 14, 1900, Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn, New York. Neither of his parents were particularly talented in music, but his brother and sister were proficient on the violin and piano. His sister gave him his first piano lessons and promoted his music education. Aaron Copland first decided to pursue a career in music as a composer when he saw a concert by Ignacy Jan Paderewski at age 15. He composed "The Red Pony" in 1948. During this time period, World War II had just ended, so much of the music that was written at this time reflected the social effects of the war. Between 1932 and 1936, Copland wrote "El Salón México". His ability to seamlessly move between themes clearly shows his musical brilliance. His most famous composition, "Fanfare for the Common Man", was written in response to the U.S. entry into the second World War. His first major success in ballet music was his score Billy the Kid. The ballet was one of the first to display an American music and dance vocabulary. His music was unique from the works of other composers because he incorporated jazz and folk music into his compositions. Furthermore, Copland used widely spaced cords and vigorous rhythms to create a special "American" sound. He created 126 works, including film scores, symphonies, ballets, choral music, and concertos. He is arguably one of the most influential American musicians as he was a composer, teacher, concert pianist, and conductor. He died on December 2, 1990 at the age of 90.