Conversation so far:
What did Sun Ra start out as?
As a child, Sun Ra was a skilled pianist. By the age of 11 or 12, he was composing and sight reading music.
What was the name of Sun Ra's band?
Sun Ra's band was called the Arkestra.
Did Sun Ra do any collaborations?
What college did Sun Ra go to?
Sun Ra attended Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.
What did Sun Ra study in college?
Sun Ra was a music education major, studying composition, orchestration, and music theory.
Was there something Sun Ra excelled at more than another?
Did Sun Ra get any recognition?
Sun Ra was often recognized as one of the hardest-working musicians anywhere he went — and surely one of the most original.

Question: What else did he do in his early career?
Self-contained rewrite: What else did Sun Ra do in his early career?