Penn State Laureate Kenneth Womack, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of English and integrative arts at Penn State Altoona, will visit Penn State Worthington Scranton on Wednesday, April 9 for his presentation: "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles" at noon in the Business Building's Hawk Lecture Hall. Students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to attend this interactive, multimedia presentation.
Womack will highlight the Beatles' growth through numerous audio and film illustrations, starting with the group's earliest songs to the height of their success with albums such as "Abbey Road." Attendees will learn about the recording, songwriting and musical genius that made the band one of the most popular of all time.
"In many ways, their sudden and massive popularity can be attributed to their sound, which was not only infectious, but remarkably different from their forebears," Womack said. "It was fresh, insistent, and, to most ears, very original."
Established in 2008, the Penn State Laureate is a position awarded to a full-time faculty member in the humanities or fine arts. During the academic year, the faculty member appears at University and state events in order to bring a higher level of social, cultural, artistic and human outlook, and understanding to various audiences. The laureate serves as a representative of the University who brings prominence to his or her own work while also bringing credit to Penn State.
"It is a tremendous and very humbling honor," he said. "To go around the state, and indeed the nation, and see how proud people are about their Penn State connections is very gratifying. It has been a truly wonderful experience."
This event is free.
