Georgia Southern to present the secret history of the electric guitar at Plant Riverside
The College of Arts and Humanities at 糖心Vlog will host the next event in its 鈥淢oveable Feast鈥� lecture series, featuring a discussion on an iconic American instrument. Matthew Hill, Ph.D., will present 鈥淪trum and Twang: The Improbable Yet Inevitable Rise of the Electric Guitar Since 1750鈥� Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at Plant Riverside District in Savannah.
鈥淢any people think they know the history of the instrument, but they don鈥檛,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淭here are lots of myths and legends that are just not true, but the real story is even weirder.”
Hill鈥檚 presentation will take attendees on a journey from bizarre instruments powered by static electricity that predate the Revolutionary War to the wild days of the rock 鈥檔鈥� roll revolution. Participants will also experiencehear special instruments that Hill has built to replicate the strange sounds of the past and new ones he has created.
鈥淭hese instruments have been evolving for centuries,鈥� explained Hill. 鈥淭he electric guitar is not just part of music, it鈥檚 part of popular culture. People constantly bring it with them into whatever the new modern era is. These days you can go online and learn so many ways to modify them and make something new.鈥�
The Moveable Feast series is an immersive learning experience by bringing lectures into spaces relevant to their topics. Hill鈥檚 presentation will take place among the many guitars displayed as part of “That Great Gretsch Sound!” collection in the District Live lobby within Savannah’s Plant Riverside District. Hill is the curator of the collection that is maintained by the Georgia Southern Museum.
The event is free and open to the public.