1960S MUSICAL REVOLUTIONARIES: MILES DAVIS, JIMI HENDRIX, YOKO ONO, AND KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN

Course Description

You say you want a revolution? The political protests, new social movements, psychedelia, eyebrow-raising fashions, and (of course) artistic experimentation made the 1960s a particularly iconic decade for music. The course concept focuses on four major figures who, on the surface, appear disparate, but actually have interesting common threads between their unique practices. We will be examining and discussing ingenious and unapologetically original works by Miles Davis in the jazz domain, Jimi Hendrix in the rock domain, Yoko Ono in the performance art domain, and Karlheinz Stockhausen in the modernist composition domain. Their personal histories and output contribute a valuable insight, providing a certain representation of the creative period as a whole. The course is a blend of music history and performative collaboration.

A background in music (performance and/or composition) is helpful. However, no specific experience is required. As such, students of various disciplines are welcome and should contact the instructor with any questions (aawatts@ucsb.edu).

Required Text

Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe, Miles: The Autobiography Picador Books;
Karlheinz Stockhausen, compiled by Robin Maconie, Stockhausen on Music: Lectures and Interviews Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd;
Jimi Hendrix, Starting at Zero: His Own Story Bloomsbury;
Yoko Ono, Introduction by John Lennon, Grapefruit: A Book of Instructions and Drawings by Yoko Ono, Classic Edition Simon & Schuster