Upcoming Programs for the 2017-2018 Academic Year
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Luncheon, The Casino Club
Steven Rings, Associate Professor of Music
Bob Dylan's Nobel Blues
What can we make of the decision to award renowned musician Bob Dylan his controversial 2016 Nobel prize - in literature? Over the course of his career, Dylan has metabolized a vast range of musical genres, from folk to rock n' roll, country to gospel, Tin Pan Alley to Western swing. But arguably no genre is more central than the one that marries the literary and the musical in Dylan's oeuvre: the blues. For Dylan, the blues is not just another genre but an assemblage of idioms and performative behaviors. And during this innovative talk, we will see that the blues were as much a lyrical resource for Dylan as a musical one; indeed, its lyrical economy and often inscrutable imagery were as central to Dylan as were Woody Guthrie and Arthur Rimbaud. Join Professor Steven Rings as we delve into the creative practices of a musician who has defied expectations and inspired a generation of artists for the last half century.
Event registration is available here.
Click here to download a PDF of the invitation to share with your guests!