History center: Florida music in the spotlight of upcoming lecture series
Orange County Regional History Center will present a series of lectures with a focus on the music of Florida.
The Brechner Speaker Series begins Feb. 26 and dovetails with the museum’s current exhibition, “Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando’s Underground.”
The four talks, which cover topics ranging from the Beatles to hip-hop, are set for Sundays and are free of charge.
The lineup includes:
Feb. 26: “Joy and Pain: Black Music of the United States Global Praxis” — Musicologist/UCF-based Africana studies expert Don Harrell will look at music in the lives of Black Americans, particularly rap, hip-hop culture and its role in social justice movements.
March 19: “Good Day Sunshine State: The Beatles in 1964 Florida” — Retired broadcast journalist and Orlando-based author Bob Kealing presents facts about the band’s visit to the area and their influence on rock ’n’ roll in the state.
April 2: “Play All Night: Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East” — Historian Bob Beatty looks at Allman, who had roots in Jacksonville, and a New York City rock venue where the Allman Brothers Band played and for which it named the 1971 album “At Filmore East.”
May 7: “Gainesville Punk: A History of Bands & Music” — Author Matt Walker examines the city’s scene over three decades.
Each talk begins at 2 p.m. Registration is encouraged at thehistorycenter.org.
The series is named after Joseph L. Brechner, a journalist and Central Florida civil rights leader. He is also the namesake of the history center’s research center.
The museum is located on Central Boulevard in downtown Orlando. Parking is available at the nearby Library Garage.
For more information, go to thehistorycenter.org.
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