Revolution: Courses on the Music of The Beatles

From academic courses to customized events (private or corporate)

Here’s what some my Stanford University Continuing Studies students have said over the years:

How & When

At a routine University music department meeting in the late 90’s I casually suggested creating a course on the music of The Beatles. To my surprise (and delight), the reception was overwhelmingly positive. I had grown up with the band as my “inner soundtrack,” but back then a Beatle course still was an academic rarity. Since that time it has become an extremely popular course, one I’ve enjoyed teaching at Swarthmore College, Santa Clara, and since 2008 at Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program. I’ve also given private presentations to raise money for non-profit organizations, as well as academic talks and papers internationally.

“One of the best courses I’ve ever taken on any subject matter, period. The kind of class you dream about and then look forward to each and every week.“

Distinctly Qualified

Of the thousands of Beatle books retelling their meteoric rise and sad fall, few authors really tackle what makes the band so special: their songs. As an experienced professor, with a doctorate in composition from Columbia University and a journalist’s approach to rigorous research, I knew I was uniquely positioned for this task. And my compositional experience—writing orchestral and theater music, plus songwriting, as well as my finely-honed music analysis skills—uniquely positioned me to articulate just how odd, quirky, and astonishingly original their output was. At their best The Beatles fearlessly synthesized disparate genres and influences, demanded innovations in recording technology, and were fantastic, disciplined writers and editors with distinctive voices. 

“Wow! This was an incredible course and our instructor, Joel Friedman, was amazing! I’ve studied the Beatles for decades, and yet I still learned so much more from Joel. HIs expertise as a composer brought a unique level of expertise and perspective. Also, his preparation and the course materials were excellent. I loved how Mr. Friedman provided the “behind the scenes” details of the recording processes.”

Some highlights from my course:

• A clear-eyed assessment of The Beatles’ work and career as they developed from a local cover band to arguably some of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
• An in-depth look at the band’s music, lyrics, performances, recording equipment, procedures, and techniques.
• The iconic musical instruments The Beatles used and popularized.
• Their creative influences:
  • The familiar: Rhythm and Blues, Motown and Soul, Country & Western, and early Rockabilly & Rock ‘n’ Roll.
  • The unusual: decidedly non-rock influences such as British Music Hall, Tin Pan Alley, Indian classical music, and the classical traditional and avant-garde styles.
• Within the confines of the course an overview of their history and times, ranging from when two teens (Lennon and McCartney) met at a fête on a July 1957 afternoon to the April 1970 press release announcing that the band was no more.
• The Fab Four’s impact on the entertainment industry, fashion, business, politics, and society.

What is unique to my courses:

• In each class, I utilize numerous outtakes and track isolations to illustrate the compositional, arranging, and recording processes of the band. What was Paul playing on bass?
• My specialty: setting the stage with musical and historical context and then presenting their musical output in the order in which they created and recorded it, not the running order later created by George Martin for their LP’s. A whole new perspective is revealed as songs and connections emerge from within the band’s ongoing contemporaneous artistic conversation.
• My current courses are offered online through Stanford, and in glorious fidelity, featuring many unusual video excerpts and accurate and concurrent photos.
• I always take the time to examine the stories and explain details, many of which were passed on for decades without question or explanation:
• Is Because really Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata played backwards? Ever wonder what ADT really is and how it works? Who played the guitar solo on Good Morning Good Morning? What are those “exotic” instruments playing on Love You To? How did Luciano Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen influenced the band? What was this Yoko Ono volume of “event scores,” Grapefruit, that John Lennon loved?

” Truly outstanding experience. Professor Friedman is uniquely qualified, talented and charismatic. His knowledge of and passion for the subject matter are unmatched. Course materials are exceptional and meticulously well prepared.”

Concerned about music theory and terminology?

Rest assured, I always introduce and demonstrate music concepts as needed in a comprehensive and comprehensible way. Those enrolled have ranged from curious novices to highly literate and experienced musicians. As necessary we take a moment to explain, we stop to dig deeper, depending upon class feedback.

Joel Friedman is the most knowledgeable person I’ve ever met on The Beatles, their music and their history. I’ve been a huge Beatles fan for fifty years and Joel always teaches me so much more about the group and their songs. I will always take his classes on The Beatles. I took this class even though I knew I’d be in the Philippines for the first two weeks. Joel always makes every class so entertaining, enjoyable and informative. He’s always willing to extend the time and stay late to answer every question someone has. 

We always have a wonderful time together. After all: A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

“I learned an extraordinary amount about the music I love, and from so many different angles: historical, technological, cultural, compositional, and so much more. I can’t believe the richness of information that was packed into just five class sessions. All the unused takes and archival footage Joel curated were a treat. He also draws from his deep knowledge about other musical genres, which makes him the perfect person to teach about The Beatles! I get extra excited now when a song we learned about comes on shuffle—thanks to this course, I have so much inside information and insight, not to mention great memories of how fun class was.”