From the psychedelic sounds of the ‘60s, to ‘90s revolutionary punk rock, music has a way of defining generations and bridging cultural gaps.

This fall, Paley Library will take a closer look at the music that moves us through a series of discussions focused on the power of sound.
 
“Philadelphia is well known for its musical talent,” said Nicole Restaino, manager of library communications and public programming. “This year we decided to focus on how music unites people and tells the human story.”

From criticism and journalism to entrepreneurial musical experiments, “Beyond the Page: Exploring the Cultural, Historical and Scholarly Record” will offer a roster of music makers and critics who will share their insights on jazz, indie music, gospel, punk rock and more.

On Thursday, Oct. 6, author Sara Marcus will visit Paley to discuss her book Girls to the Front, the first published history of the seminal 1990s Riot Grrrl — an uncompromising movement of girls with no patience for sexism and no intention of keeping quiet.

Several of Temple public radio station WRTI’s on-air personalities will also join the conversation. On Wednesday, Oct. 12, Jim Cotter will sit down with Larry Magid, one of the founders of the Electric Factory and Electric Factory Concerts, for a candid conversation about the history of music in Philadelphia. A fixture on the Philadelphia concert scene for more than 40 years, Magid opened the Electric Factory in February 1968. Since then, he has produced more than 15,000 concerts, orchestrated Philadelphia milestones such as Live Aid and won two Tony Awards.

Publishers Weekly called the book a “brash, gutsy chronicle of the empowering music and feminist movement of the early 1990s.”

My Soul’s Been Psychedelicized, a collection of photographs and posters recounting the history of  the Electric Factory was recently published by Temple University Press. The book includes concert posters, photographs,  and promotional items featuring both rising stars and established performers,  such as Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Elvis Presley, Tina Turner and Pearl Jam.

All public programs are held in Paley Library Lecture Hall, located on the ground floor, and are free and open to the public. For a full schedule,
visit blog.library.temple.edu/events.