Rock & Roll

Last night we had the pleasure of seeing the musical "Rain", a tribute to the Beatles. It was a great show, with all live music and singing.

It got me thinking about a class I took in college at Indiana University. History of Rock Music was taught by Glenn Gass, Professor of Music at IU. Indiana is one of the most extraordinary music schools in the country. It was the first class of its type in any music school and was wildly popular amongst undergraduate students. It took until my last semester in school before I could coordinate my schedule to be in that class.

Dr. Gass inspired every class to understand the influences of early rock music on the music we listen to today. In the first class, he asked "Who likes Elvis?". About 1/3 of us in the class raised our hands. By the last class of the semester, he would yell "Elvis!" and the entire class would respond "King!".

Who would know the influences that rhythm, gospel and the blues had on present day music? The African American artists of the 50's influenced Elvis, who changed the face of Rock & Roll because he was white, and could sing and dance like his black counterparts. His race made him acceptable in the mainstream, therefore he enjoyed a success that was difficult for his predecessors.

Buddy Holly, one of the most influential factors in Rock & Roll, died prematurely in a plane crash in February of 1959 (the day the music died). He influenced countless artists, including a teenager who attended his second to last concert in Minnesota. That boy, Robert Zimmerman later became a star in his own right, Bob Dylan.

In early 1964, our country was still grieving the loss of John Kennedy. The arrival of the Beatles to the US and their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February was the lift the youth of our country needed to relieve themselves of the grief they felt. The changes in the Beatles' music during the 60's were so distinctive that the style of various songs would indicate the year they were recorded.

I feel very fortunate to have been exposed to different genres of music, classical and rock alike. I will always appreciate the education I received from Glenn Gass in that class. It has enhanced my perspective of all types of music. Thanks, Glenn. It sounds cliche, but you rock.