Ira Gershwin the US in 1891. Ira's siblings were George (Jacob, b. 1898), Arthur (b. 1900) and Frances (b. 1906). Morris changed the family name to "Gershwine" (or alternatively "Gershvin") well before their children rose to fame; it was not spelled "Gershwin" until later. Shy in his youth, Ira spent much of his time at home reading, but from grammar school through college he played a prominent part in several school newspapers and magazines. He graduated in 1914 from Townsend Harris High School, a public school for intellectually gifted students, where he met Yip Harburg, with whom he enjoyed a lifelong friendship
Songwriting competition and airplay of their songs, sometimes recording contracts. Songwriting competitions are often called "career-boosts". A variation on the theme of songwriting competitions is ComProsers, whose inaugural contest asks participants to read a short story first and create a piece of music inspired by that story. Yet another variation is the Write-With-A-Hit-Maker (WWAHM.com) songwriting contest. This annual event sponsored by the 20+ year old Durango Songwriters Expo provides the winning songwriter with the rare opportunity to write a song with a bona fide hit songwriter. Hit songwriters who have participated in this event include Jeff Silbar ("Wind Beneath My Wings"), Kim