The Early Days of Rock ‘n’ Roll: A Multimedia Presentation by Pete Elman
New Orleans and the Deep South 1955-1960: the cradle of rock and roll. From the fields to the factories to Friday night.

This program will cover the early days of the golden age of American rock n’ roll, 1955-62. Early rhythm and blues, the first wave: Leadbelly, Robert Johnson at the crossroads, early R&B, Fats Domino (New Orleans) Little Richard (Georgia) Bo Diddley (Mississippi) and Chuck Berry (Missouri). Why does this music swing so much?  Part of a larger course that is taught chronologically and geographically–“a road trip” of key American musical movements, the course is a cultural and musical journey through those periods and places where certain regions were at the forefront of American popular music; it is taught through several media: lecture, slide show with photographs, charts and maps, recorded music, film clips, the use of live music, and a brief question and answer session. Mr. Elman will play piano and sing, and perform examples from the period in class.
PETE ELMAN, musician, writer and teacher, has been a professional musician since 1963, working as a keyboardist, trombonist, guitarist, bassist, arranger, composer, studio musician, recording artist and producer. He has performed and recorded with Grammy-winning writer/producer Rick Nowels (Stevie Nicks, Madonna, Celine Dion), Tom Johnston (Doobie Brothers) and Stef Burns (Huey Lewis and the News). Along the way he has composed, arranged, and produced music for film, TV, commercials, and several recording artists. In the 1990s, he released four acclaimed solo instrumental albums. As a journalist, Pete covered sports for the Cape Cod Times from 2000-2011, and continues to work as a freelance sportswriter. He taught public school from 2002-2015, and in 2013 published an acclaimed children’s musical picture book, Seasons Rhymes in Time. He is currently teaching eleven popular courses on American music for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Bay Area universities including UC Berkeley; among them: Turn, turn, turn, a regional chronological journey through the golden age of rock and roll, 1955-1970.  Pete is currently working on several book projects.