Willis Conover, the Voice of America, and the International Reception of Avant-Garde Jazz in the 1960S
“SOUNDS FOR ADVENTUROUS LISTENERS”: WILLIS CONOVER, THE VOICE OF AMERICA, AND THE INTERNATIONAL RECEPTION OF AVANT-GARDE JAZZ IN THE 1960S Mark A. Breckenridge, B.M., M.M., M.M.E. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2012 APPROVED: John P. Murphy, Major Professor and Interim Director of Graduate Studies in Music Eileen M. Hayes, Minor Professor and Chair of the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology Mark McKnight, Committee Member Ana Alonso-Minutti, Committee Member James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Breckenridge, Mark A., “Sounds for Adventurous Listeners”: Willis Conover, the Voice of America, and the International Reception of Avant-garde Jazz in the 1960s. Doctor of Philosophy (Musicology), August 2012, 315 pp., 27 figures, bibliography, 189 titles. In “Sounds for Adventurous Listeners,” I argue that Conover’s role in the dissemination of jazz through the Music USA Jazz Hour was more influential on an educational level than what literature on Conover currently provides. Chapter 2 begins with an examination of current studies regarding the role of jazz in Cold War diplomacy, the sociopolitical implications of avant-garde jazz and race, the convergence of fandom and propaganda, the promoter as facilitator of musical trends, and the influence of international radio during the Cold War. In chapter 3 I introduce the Friends of Music USA Newsletter and explain its function as a record of overseas jazz reception and a document that cohered a global network of fans. I then focus on avant-garde debates of the 1960s and discuss Conover’s role overseas and in the United States.
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