Herbie Hancock's Contribution to Innovation in Music from 1971-1984

This thesis will cover the trials, tribulations, and breakthroughs of American jazz legend Herbie Hancock from 1971-1984, specifically with regard to his contributions to technological and cultural innovation in the jazz/funk/rock fusion movement. I will draw heavily from his autobiography Possibilities, as it provides Herbie’s first-person account of many relevant events referenced in this thesis. I will cite his autobiography at the end of my paper, with numerous page and chapter references throughout as I quote and paraphrase. I will also use my background in data analytics to see what stories can be told using data from 1971-1984 on the dynamics of the people, instruments, and various technologies used in his productions through that time. I will aggregate data in Excel and produce charts and graphs that may represent statistically significant observations. For my defense, I will condense what is likely to be a 30-40 page paper (double spaced) into a more digestible slide presentation with infographics.