At the age of sixteen he moved to
Brooklyn, where he worked in the music store of the
Oliver Ditson Company, Also in 1883, one of Spaulding's composed songs appeared in a book, with lyrics by his father. This song was called "Sail Ho! (A Sea Song)". Between 1884 and 1885, several other songs were published with George Spaulding as the composer and his father as the lyricist. A piano piece by Spaulding was published in 1884, titled "Jim Blaine's Galop". On the front cover of the sheet music was written "Jim Blaine of Maine. His Galop To The White House". It referred to
James G. Blaine, who ended up being narrowly defeated in the
1884 United States presidential election. His piano pieces "Rapido Polka", and "Ocean Beauties: Waltzes", were published in 1884 and 1885 respectively. George Spaulding was the composer and lyricist of "Her Parting Words To Me", in 1885. Also in 1885, he composed the song "He's English And So Sweet", with words by J. W. Turner, and was the composer of a separate piano arrangement of it. He left the Oliver Ditson Company, and opened a music shop in Brooklyn with George A. Kornder under the firm name of Spaulding & Kornder. By 1888, Spaulding & Kornder had also become music publishers operating from that address. They had success with the publishing of the song "
Down Went McGinty", in 1889. In 1891, under the pseudonym of Henry Lamb, he was the lyricist and composer of "My Mary Green". George sold all the rights of this song to a music publisher named
Frank Harding for only $15. It was very popular all over the United States, and also in England. Spaulding and Gray published it in 1893 and the song made $35,000. In the same year, Gray bought the rights to the song "The Fatal Wedding" from
Gussie Davis, for just $25 and rewrote it. Spaulding and Gray published it, crediting Davis as the composer and the money generated from the sales of that song, was also extremely high. Among songs that they each composed together and were popular included "
The Volunteer Organist", "Take Back the Engagement Ring", and "When You Know The Girl You Love, Loves You". He was elected again to that position on 9 June 1896. By 1897, Spaulding had set up a business as a music publisher under his own name at 29 East 20th Street, New York. Songs that were written, composed, and published by himself from that address between 1897 and 1900, included "Somebody Has My Heart", "In An Old New England Village By The Sea", and "Pretty Jessie Moore". George Spaulding also had a great talent for writing simple piano pieces with effective harmony and well defined melodies. Some of the most popular examples of these were: "Sing, Robin", "Sing - Pretty Little Song Bird", "Airy Fairies", "Child's Good Night", "Dollie's Dream", "June Roses", "Just a Bunch of Flowers", "Mountain Pink" and "Dreaming Poppies". Spaulding's
Tunes and Rhymes for the Playroom,
Souvenirs of the Masters, and
Well Known Fables Set to Music were among the most widely used collections of easy piano pieces in book form.
A Day in Flowerdom and The
Isle of Jewels, which were two little
operettas for children, written by Spaulding, were also very popular. His easy piano pieces, and elementary technical books, played an important role in developing music education for children. ==Marriage and personal life==