Merrill Gillespie

Merrill Gillespie was a student at the college from spring 1949 to fall of 1952.

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Merrill in 1998 and the transcript is available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics: Hearing about BMC – study with Lou Harrison – nature of BMC community – Fielding Dawson – Paul Leser – degeneration of community in 1950s – Charles Olson – assessment of Olson students – freedom and discipline in community – Robert Rauschenberg – influence of BMC – rain, cold and yoghurt at BMC – general music composition at BMC – Herb Roco – post-BMC professional work – Turtle Island Books

Courses Taken

Spring 1949-1950: Piano with Hetherington, Music I with Hetherington, Reading Literature with Richards, Gen. Anthropology with Leser

First 1950: French I with Shepard, Counterpoint I with Hetherington, Geometry with Dehn, Piano with Hetherington, Percussion with Jennerjahn, Weaving with Oates, Sight Reading with Jalowetz

Second 1950-1951: French with Shepard, Anthropology of Oceania with Leser, European history 1848-present with Leser, Percussion with Jennerjahn, Light Sound Movement Workshop with Jennerjahn, Sight Reading Jalowetz, Weaving with Oates, Dance with Jennerjahn

Summer 1951: Historical Methods with Leser, Chorus with Harrison, Composition with Harrison, Counterpoint with Harrison

First 1951-1952: Composition with Harrison, Music with Harrison, Patterns of Culture with Adams (Dropped)

Second 1951-1952: Book Keeping with Huss, Counterpoint with Harrison, Composition with Harrison, Rhythmics with Harrison

Summer 1952: Composition with Wolfe, Work Scholarship – Book Keeping with Huss

First 1952-1953: Work Scholarship with Larsen and Jones, Physics with Goldowski, Algebra with Goldowski