About This Lesson
This lesson explores first the role Brian Epstein played in helping craft The Beatles’ visual presence, group identity and team unity, the way he helped the group transition from successful nightclub act to international sensation. Though he was also from Liverpool, Epstein was a decade older and a social class above The Beatles. Yet, as Paul McCartney says in The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years: “He had a vision of us that was beyond the vision we had of ourselves.” The lesson also investigates the ways producer George Martin, a self-described “schoolmaster” to the Beatles’ as they recorded their first albums, helped The Beatles discover the creative potential of the recording studio, and move their music from the stage to the studio, finally reaching listeners across the globe.
Exploring the roles of Epstein and Martin encourages students to consider the myriad ways people–even those who appear uniquely exceptional–benefit from the guidance of “coaches” and the assistance of others. Throughout this lesson, students witness the power of teamwork by learning about The Beatles’ focus on group unity, then work as “rock bands” in groups in order to experience some of the psychological experiences the members of The Beatles faced firsthand.
