The electric guitar changed music forever in the mid-20th century. This lecture-style class will explore the contributions of musicians with Arkansas roots, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Johnny Cash, whose revolutionary electric guitar innovations helped shape the sound of country, blues, and rock and roll. Q&A/discussion to follow. 

BIO:

Matt Powell is a local writer, guitarist, and musician. He has published several articles about music history and appreciation for national publications including Variety, Emmys.com, and No Depression, including a 2018 article in No Depression's print journal exploring the development of the electric guitar. Matt studied songwriting and guitar performance at Berklee College of Music and performs regularly throughout the area. He has taught multiple courses on music and literature for ASUMH’s community education program.