The Women Who Conquered a Man’s World: Mansplaining the Her-story of Rock Music

A Fall 2024 Emeritus Society Course

Location:

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, North Greene Street, Greensboro, NC, USA

Cost:

$ 120.00 per person

Duration:

1h 30min

About this experience

Thursday, 10:00 -11:30 am 
September 26 - November 7 (no class 10/10) 
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 

In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be necessary to offer a course on the history of women in rock music. We would simply offer a course on rock music, discussing all its historical highlights and biggest personalities, and all things would be equal. In a PERFECT world! Yet, while we, as a society, have made strides toward equality, we’re not quite there yet. The short, yet dramatic history of rock music is largely written from the point of view of men, about men. It has been, and in many ways still is, a man’s world. This is not a secret! However, as a famous philosopher once said, “men may be the head of the family, but women are the neck…and they can turn the head any way they like!” The history of rock music is similar. Without some of the amazing women that have been part of its history, rock music today would not be the same. Women have been involved in the history of rock music from its earliest days - writing songs, performing, producing, and setting trends that still resonate today, often with nowhere near the recognition their male counterparts received. These efforts have now taken women to the forefront of rock and pop music in the modern era. But that process took a long time, and there were many challenges along the way. This course will provide a brief look into that important journey.

Now, it is not lost on me that I am a man attempting to explain a history of women. But in my quest for knowledge and understanding, I have come to greatly respect the labors and sacrifices these women gifted on their journey to give rock music some “girl power”. I have learned that, in a man’s world, it wouldn’t exist without a few good women. Come experience the journey with me and hear what I learned. (Note: Course may contain offensive language and material.  It’s rock and roll!) – Brian Carter

  1. Not Your Father's Music
  2. Girl Groups = Girl Power!
  3. A New Voice Emerges
  4. Power and Punk
  5. The Sounds of Soul
  6. The Next Generation

 

 

Your Host

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Brian Carter (DMA, University of Michigan) is a Lecturer at the University of North Carolina Greensboro School of Music and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at Elon University. Prior to recently returning to his home of Greensboro, he was a professional opera and classical concert singer, and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Music at Washington State University where he specialized in Vocal Studies and Literature, and History of Rock Music.