In rock and roll virtuoso Jimi Hendrix's rendition of the national anthem, Hendrix electrified a familiar soundscape by adding his signature dissonant notes, shrill and strident sounds that invite listeners to question: Is this an anthem or a dirge? I argue that at that historical moment, Hendrix's rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" is both--a melancholy expression of the longstanding failures of American democracy and a praise poem by a true patriot.
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People Who Changed the World is a new collaboration between the Miami University Humanities Center and the Oxford Institute for Learning in Retirement. Sponsored by the Friends of the Humanities Center, the series features Miami’s nationally recognized faculty in the humanities. We invite Oxford community members to join us for a series that explores influential figures and the place of the humanities in both the university and wider society.
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