EVDOL 31 - The Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll

Edward Barnes
The Road to Rock ’n’ Roll explores how one of the most influential and uniquely American musical styles of the 20th century came into being. Across four sessions, the course traces rock and roll’s roots in African American blues, boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues, jump blues, gospel, and doo-wop, alongside Appalachian folk, country, Western swing, and popular big-band music. Using vintage recordings, archival performance footage, live musical demonstrations, and musical analysis of melody, rhythm, harmony, form, and lyric style, the course examines formative figures such as Louis Jordan, Bob Wills, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose work shaped the sound and energy of early rock. These converging traditions lead to pivotal early recordings such as Ike Turner’s “Rocket 88,” Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock,” Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right (Mama),” and Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene.”

The course also considers the role of technology and the music business—from the rise of the 45 rpm single and portable record players to radio, influential DJs such as Alan Freed, and the impact of payola—in transforming regional styles into a national youth culture. The final session traces rock’s rapid expansion from 1960s surf rock and folk rock (the Beach Boys, the Byrds) through psychedelic rock (Jefferson Airplane) and Woodstock, and into the ambitious, theatrical styles of the 1970s and 1980s, including progressive and glam rock, through artists such as David Bowie.

Biography: Edward Barnes

Two Sections Available | 4 Classes Total | Extension Holiday Schedule

EVDOL 31 01:

Mondays 6–8pm ET

June 8–June 29

Mode: In Person

*This class is presented in a hybrid setting. Students registered for in-person sections commit to attending all sessions on site at Juilliard. Access to online participation (via Zoom) will not be provided except under special circumstances approved at the discretion of Juilliard Extension administration. Class recordings will be available on Canvas to all students.

$400

Register by Phone: (212) 799-5000 ext. 273

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