16-Online-From Liverpool to Legend: The Beatles in Music History
Fall or Spring Course | Registration opens 8/4/2025 6:00 AM EDT
2:15-3:30 p.m., 5 Thursdays, August 28-October 9 (note early start on Aug 28; no class on Sept. 11 and 25)
The ultimate pop phenomenon, the Beatles appeared everywhere in the ‘60s: on TV, movie screens, magazine covers, lunch boxes, dolls, dishes, and more. Beatlemania influenced hairstyles and clothing, but most of all, the Beatles revolutionized music. This five-week course will examine the music of the Beatles and their impact on Western culture. We will look at how they got started, their meteoric rise to fame, their songwriting style, their triumphs, and eventual breakup. In addition to lectures and videos, we will look at their musical development and hear live performances of their songs by well-known local musician Glenn Bulthuis. Bulthuis first watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964, an event that had a profound impact on the musical direction of his life in the decades to follow.Subject: music
Glenn Bulthuis was born in Los Angles and grew up with the music of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, James Taylor, and Motown. For thirty-five years he has performed concerts of popular music at Calvin University’s Covenant Fine Arts Center and has written songs reflecting on life in America and his deep Christian faith. Bulthuis has produced seven albums and collaborated with musicians who have worked with Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, Burt Bachrach, and the Temptations. In 1984 he performed with John Williams (composer of Star Wars / Indiana Jones) at the Los Angeles Olympics opening ceremonies. He believes that faith in God and the power of Jesus Christ is the only hope for our broken nation.