Stanford University Expands Grateful Dead Curriculum With New Course Taught By David Gans

Stanford University is launching a new continuing studies course that builds on a previous class taught by David Gans. This course will delve deeper into the music, history, and cultural impact of the Grateful Dead.

"Did It Matter? Does It Now? The Music and Culture of the Grateful Dead" is an eight-week, live online course that explores the band's impact through stories, discussions with scholars and historians, and in-depth listening sessions.

The course will investigate the Grateful Dead’s influence on art, literature, social change, and its distinctive fan culture, including the Deadhead phenomenon. By the end, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the band’s origins, struggles, milestones, and its enduring impact on music and culture.

Guest speakers include notable figures such as Blair Jackson, author of *Garcia: An American Life* and *Grateful Dead Gear*; Jesse Jarnow, author and producer/host of *The Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast*; Gary Lambert, co-host of SiriusXM’s *Tales from the Golden Road*; Dennis McNally, former Grateful Dead publicist and author of *A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead*; Mark Pinkus, president of Rhino Records; and David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager.