Stanford offering new course in the Grateful Dead

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Legendary rock band the Grateful Dead will be the subject of a new Stanford Continuing Studies course this fall.

Did It Matter? Does It Now? The Music and Culture of the Grateful Dead is an eight-week course that kicks off Oct. 3, taught by David Gans, producer and host of the nationally syndicated Grateful Dead Hour.

The course will feature a variety of Dead-related guest speakers, including David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager; Dennis McNally, former Grateful Dead publicist and author of A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead; and Jesse Jarnow, producer/host of The Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast. 

According to the description, the course “will feature a collection of stories and conversations with scholars and historians, each offering facts and personal perspectives illuminating every aspect of the Grateful Dead culture.”

It will use music from live and studio recordings “to learn what makes the Dead’s music-making unique and explore the broad musical universe the band created in its 30-year history.” The course will also explore the band’s impact on society, art, literature, social change and more.

The description notes, “By the end of the course, students will have a well-rounded appreciation for the roots, struggles, and milestones that shaped the Grateful Dead’s trajectory, an understanding of their profound impact on music and culture, and insight into a legacy that still resonates deeply today.

Registration for the course is now open.

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