Dylanoutline
Communication 122
Former Student
Informative Outline
1. Introduction A. Bob Dylan once said, “All I can do is be me, whoever that is.” So who is Dylan? Is he the singer-songwriter, the poet, the voice of the generations, the performer, the ever-changing musician? He is everything.
B. Rolling Stone acknowledges Dylan as being one the most important figures in the music world. “For over 40 years Bob Dylan has remained, along with James Brown, the most influential American musician rock and roll has ever produced and the most important of the 60s” (Rolling Stone 2001). During his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, his presenter, Bruce Springsteen said, “To this day, wherever great rock music is being made, there is a shadow of Bob Dylan” (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2007). Without Dylan, popular music would not be what it is today. Bob Dylan has impacted popular music in a way that other musicians would only dream of doing; by singing in his cracked, howling voice that broke the style barrier between folk and rock. C. (OPTIONAL) D. To help you understand and appreciate Dylan, I would like to talk to you about his folk years, his transition into rock and roll, and the highlights of his career thus far.
II. Body A. In 1960 Dylan left the University of Minnesota and headed to New York’s Greenwich Village to pursue his dream of becoming a folksinger. 1. He was greatly influenced by folksingers and beat poets of the time, including his idol, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Allen Ginsberg (Santelli 2005). 2. Dylan began by playing music of his mentors at coffeehouses and clubs. a. The first song he wrote and performed was “Song to Woody,” which was an ode to his idol and good friend, Woody Guthrie (Santelli 2005). 3. In 1961 he was signed to Columbia Records and his first self-titled album was released in 1962
Former Student
Informative Outline
1. Introduction A. Bob Dylan once said, “All I can do is be me, whoever that is.” So who is Dylan? Is he the singer-songwriter, the poet, the voice of the generations, the performer, the ever-changing musician? He is everything.
B. Rolling Stone acknowledges Dylan as being one the most important figures in the music world. “For over 40 years Bob Dylan has remained, along with James Brown, the most influential American musician rock and roll has ever produced and the most important of the 60s” (Rolling Stone 2001). During his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, his presenter, Bruce Springsteen said, “To this day, wherever great rock music is being made, there is a shadow of Bob Dylan” (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2007). Without Dylan, popular music would not be what it is today. Bob Dylan has impacted popular music in a way that other musicians would only dream of doing; by singing in his cracked, howling voice that broke the style barrier between folk and rock. C. (OPTIONAL) D. To help you understand and appreciate Dylan, I would like to talk to you about his folk years, his transition into rock and roll, and the highlights of his career thus far.
II. Body A. In 1960 Dylan left the University of Minnesota and headed to New York’s Greenwich Village to pursue his dream of becoming a folksinger. 1. He was greatly influenced by folksingers and beat poets of the time, including his idol, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Allen Ginsberg (Santelli 2005). 2. Dylan began by playing music of his mentors at coffeehouses and clubs. a. The first song he wrote and performed was “Song to Woody,” which was an ode to his idol and good friend, Woody Guthrie (Santelli 2005). 3. In 1961 he was signed to Columbia Records and his first self-titled album was released in 1962
Bibliography: Bob Dylan (2008). Bob Dylan. http://www.bobdylan.com. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1988). Bob Dylan. http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/bob-dylan (2008). Rolling Stone (2001). Bob Dylan Biography. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobdylan/biography. Santelli, Robert (2005). The Bob Dylan Scrapbook. Simon & Schuster. New York