To a Wild Rose

"To a Wild Rose", one of the European-trained MacDowell's most well-known and loved pieces, is part of his Woodland Sketches for solo piano, finished in 1896.

[2] Alan Levy, the critic and biographer, wrote: Marian recalled how her husband would regularly write a few measures during breakfast — "like exercise" — before going off to the cabin.

He happened to miss the target, however, and rather than summarily throwing it away, Marian later picked up the paper, uncrumpled it, and looked it over.

Levy said that the piece is best played by children, as they would not embellish it heavily but perform it quite simply.

The pop song "Am I Ready", written by Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper and recorded by Elvis Presley in 1966 for the soundtrack of the film Spinout, is based on the melody of this piece.