This summer, Lakeside is partnering with the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music and Oberlin College & Conservatory to offer Pre-Concert Lectures before select Lakeside Symphony Orchestra concerts. These engaging talks provide historical and musical context to help audiences gain a deeper appreciation of the evening’s performance.
Join Dr. Kathryn Metz for "1980s: Thriller Girls Born in the USA Just Want to Have Fun in Purple Rain."
From blockbuster music videos and sold-out stadium tours to unforgettable pop anthems and iconic artists, the 1980s transformed the music industry. Fueled by MTV, larger-than-life performances, and a culture of excess, the decade produced chart-topping hits that continue to shape popular music today. In this lecture, Metz explores the cultural forces behind the decade’s biggest songs and why their influence continues to resonate.
Metz is Director of Musical Studies, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Administrative Coordinator and Senior Lecturer at Oberlin College & Conservatory. She previously served as Humanities Department Chair at Hawken Upper School, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at Oberlin Conservatory and Manager of Community & Family Programs at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
She holds a PhD and a Master of Music in ethnomusicology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music in ethnomusicology from Bowling Green State University. Her research focuses on popular music, music education, social justice in Cleveland’s music and arts communities, and education equity.
