Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music Announces Inaugural President’s Lecture on Music History and Contemporary America

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (April 2, 2024) – The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University (BSACAM) is pleased to announce the first President’s Lecture on Music History and Contemporary America, on Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall Auditorium on the campus of Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave, West Long Branch, New Jersey.
 
The inaugural event will feature The New York Times’ best-selling author and acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley who will present “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology): Long Sixties Protest Music and the Earth Day Revolution,” a timely reflection on music and the environment, coming shortly after Earth Day. Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, CNN Presidential Historian, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.

Hosted by Monmouth University President and BSACAM Board of Directors Chair Patrick F. Leahy, the annual lecture series will highlight how music history can inform our understanding of the world we live in today.
 
“The lecture showcases the Center’s mission to educate and inspire future generations to understand the diverse influences in American music, and appreciate its power as a force for change, echoing Monmouth University’s commitment to social mobility and diversity,” Leahy said. “Dr. Brinkley masterfully bridges historical legacies with contemporary education, and I am so pleased he will provide our campus with a deeper understanding of American music’s rich tapestry as the first speaker in this series.”
 
This event is free and open to the public, however seating is limited, and advanced registration is required. To reserve your complimentary seat for the President’s Lecture, visit: https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=MNMV_PLAGENCY_MPV&orgid=44869&eventId=108629.

BSACAM Curator Melissa Ziobro notes, “We are delighted that Dr. Brinkley has agreed to deliver this inaugural address and excited about the future of this annual event in which we will explore the many ways music history is relevant in the modern world.”

This event is co-sponsored by Monmouth University’s School of Science, Urban Coast Institute, and Department of History and Anthropology.