The University of Southern California Thornton School of Music is hosting the Les Paul’s Big Sound Experience, Jan. 28 and 29. The tour celebrates the 100th anniversary of the legendary inventor and musician Les Paul in a two-day event, featuring interactive exhibits, music exploration and hands-on entertainment.
Situated on USC’s Pardee Plaza, the 53-foot, state-of-the-art tour vehicle takes guests behind the scenes into the world of Les Paul. Visitors will be able to mix and share music as they learn about an important innovator of the music industry. The free event is open to Los Angeles music-lovers of all ages.
Chris Sampson, vice dean of USC Thornton’s Division of Contemporary Music and director of the school’s Popular Music program, will add to the festivities with a series of public lectures touching on Les Paul’s influence in music and technology.
Grammy-winning Les Paul was a pioneering jazz, country and blues guitarist who invented the solid body electric guitar, multi-track recording, overdubbing and other music technologies. Countless contemporary artists including Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Slash, Billie Joe Armstrong, Joan Jett, Jimi Hendrix and numerous others have credited Paul with shaping their music. Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Les Paul’s Big Sound Experience will be open to the public Thursday and Friday, Jan. 28 and 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. USC’s Pardee Plaza is located at the southern end of Trousdale Pkwy, adjacent to Exposition Blvd.
To learn more about the educational technology behind Les Paul’s Big Sound Experience tour, visit lespaultour.com.
For more information, visit music.usc.edu/lespaul.
