15歲時，尚在冷飲檯工作的艾靈頓就編寫了他的第一首歌曲「冷飲機散拍樂」 (Soda Fountain Rag)。到了快20歲時，他所賺的錢已經能夠讓他的父母搬到一間比較好的房子了。艾靈頓的第一場職業公演是在一場派對上，當時他演奏的時間長到他的手都流血了。而他賺到了75分。他說：「我從沒看過怎麼多錢。」「我手拿著這筆錢，一路跑回家，跑到媽媽面前，但接下來有好幾個星期的時間，我都無法彈奏任何一個鋼琴鍵…。」您想艾靈頓接下來會做什麼？
　

At age 15, Ellington worked at a soda fountain and wrote his first song, "Soda Fountain Rag." By his late teens, he was making enough money to help his parents move into a better house. One of Ellington's first professional gigs was a party where he played so long that his hand bled. He earned 75 cents. "It was the most money I had ever seen," he said. "I rushed all the way home to my mother with it. But I could not touch a piano key for weeks . . . " What do you think was Ellington's next move?

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