Home > News & Reviews > The Beatles

English University Awards First Ever Degree In The Beatles

Thursday, 27 January 2011 Written by James Conlon
English University Awards First Ever Degree In The Beatles

A Canadian woman has become the first person to ever graduate with a Master’s degree in The Beatles. Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy, a former Miss Canada finalist, signed up for the newly-opened course with twelve others when it began in 2009 and is the first to complete her studies.

The Masters course, which is being run at Liverpool Hope University is entitled ‘The Beatles - Popular Music and Society'. The programme looks at the studio composition of The Beatles works and analyses how Liverpool helped to shape their identity as a group. It also considers aspects including their significance on a global scale and how their music helped to define cultural identities and society.

Speaking to the BBC, graduate Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy said: “It’s absolutely academic. It was an examination of how The Beatles came to be. What the political and social climate was and the cultural aspects that helped to facilitate an environment where The Beatles' could happen.”

She added: “It was a lot of history. It was very much having to understand all of the history of British music, British politics and the economic state of the country at the time and what people where doing to stay positive and how music impacted on everyday life."

The course founder Mike Brocken said that the postgraduate degree would make Zahalan-Kennedy a member of a select group of popular music experts: "Mary-Lu now joins an internationally recognized group of scholars of popular music studies who are able to offer fresh and thought-provoking insights into the discipline of musicology."
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!


Let Us Know Your Thoughts




Related News

Thu 02 Nov 2023
Listen To The Beatles' Final Song Now And Then
 
< Prev   Next >