Morton Gould

Composer ("American Salute", "Pavanne"), conductor, pianist and arranger, educated at New York University and a music student of Abby Whiteside and Vincent Jones. At six, he had his first composition published ("Just Six"), and thereafter concertized until age 17. He was a staff arranger for Radio City Music Hall, and later a staff member at NBC. He was a guest conductor for several symphony orchestras. His Broadway stage scores include "Billion Dollar Baby" and "Arms and the Girl". He conducted his own orchestra on many recordings. Joining ASCAP in 1936, he became an ASVCAP director in 1959. His chief musical collaborators included Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Dorothy Fields. His other popular songs and instrumentals include "Tropical", "Guaracha", "Bad Timing", "Nothin' for Nothin'", and "There Must Be Something Better than Love".