Honors Theses (History)

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Browsing Honors Theses (History) by Author "Wilkinson, Olivia"

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    How Festivals Influenced the Musical Landscape of the 1960s
    (University of Oregon, 2023-05-16) Wilkinson, Olivia
    This article uses a combination of sources, including music and its lyrics, works from other scholars, an interview with a Woodstock attendee, personal accounts, artwork, and video performances to gather a comprehensive view of each festival. The video footage consists of performances, outtakes of performances, and interviews, with more footage available with each subsequent festival. Song lyrics are used liberally as primary source material to track changes between festival eras. The Beatles are referenced periodically because their career trajectory was closely tied with popular music trends. Music, performance, and personal accounts are vital to understanding how the three festivals are connected and how festivals as a concept grow over time. The first chapter discusses the Newport Folk Festival and how the electric Dylan controversy sheds light on the festival as an event that showcased a bending of genres. Chapter two discusses the Monterey International Pop Festival and how the Bay Area where the festival took place is tied to the explosion of psychedelic drug use. The last chapter discusses Woodstock and why the war was important in understanding why the festival was more controversial than many remember today. Drugs, music, and freedom of expression colored the last years of the 1960s. A willingness to experiment was a strong characteristic of many of the youth of the decade, whether they became high-profile performers or stayed among the crowds, and was closely tied with the transitional periods discussed in this article.