Editing Van Dyke Parks (section)

===Folk groups and Disney gigs===

In 1960, Parks enrolled at the [[Carnegie Mellon University|Carnegie Institute]], majoring in composition and performance,{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=35}} and studying under [[Aaron Copland]].{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=94}} In 1963, he shifted focus to the ''[[requinto]]'' guitar and relocated to California to form the folk duo the Steel Town Two with his brother [[Carson Parks|Carson]].{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=35}} The pair performed along the California coast, from San Diego to Santa Barbara, initially earning $7.50 per night{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=36}} at venues such as [[Hermosa Beach]]’s Insomniac Café, where they appeared alongside acts including the Andrew de la Bastide Steel Band, [[Bessie Griffin|Bessie Griffin and the Gospel Pearls]], and [[the Chambers Brothers]].{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=35}} [[David Crosby]] attended a Santa Barbara performance, remarking to associate [[David Lindley (musician)|David Lindley]], "If they can get away with it, so can we."<ref name="Prism Films">{{cite web|title=Van Dyke Parks interview|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6U0hwQ75QU|work=Prism Films|publisher=prismfilms.co.uk|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407104617/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6U0hwQ75QU|archive-date=April 7, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="Seldom Seen Kid">{{cite magazine|title=The Seldom Seen Kid|magazine=Mojo|date=August 12, 2012|pages=55–57|url=http://www.bananastan.com/clippings.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817193223/http://bananastan.com/clippings.html|archive-date=August 17, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Parks also performed acoustic folk music at the Prison of Socrates coffeehouse on [[Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach|Balboa Peninsula]] while [[the Beach Boys]] played simultaneously at the nearby [[Rendezvous Ballroom]].{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=19}}{{sfn|Kubernik|2009|p=41}} Though Parks had not actively followed the band's music, he was familiar with their radio hits, later recalling their performances and the enthusiastic crowds they drew as an "eye-opening" experience that "changed [his] life".{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=19}} 

[[File:Buffalo Springfield in 1966.png|thumb|upright|Parks briefly formed a guitar trio with [[Stephen Stills]] (left) and [[Steve Young (musician)|Steve Young]] (not present) in 1966. Stills' later band [[Buffalo Springfield]] (pictured) was named by Parks, inspired by a bulldozer logo.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2006|p=11}}{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=38}}  ]]

Immersing himself in Southern California's folk scene, Parks forged significant professional relationships during these years, including with guitarist [[Stephen Stills]] and singer-songwriter [[Steve Young (musician)|Steve Young]].{{sfn|Henderson|2010|pp=36–38}} He also toured New England as a member of the Brandywine Singers{{sfn|White|1996|p=266}} and was a member of the Greenwood County Singers, participating on their first two [[Kapp Records]] albums,{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=35}} as well as songwriter [[Terry Gilkyson]]'s group [[the Easy Riders]].{{sfn|White|1996|p=266}}{{refn|group=nb|Gilkyson's "[[Memories are Made of This]]" was a particular favorite of Parks as a child.{{sfn|Kubernik|2009|p=41}}}} After recruiting a standup bass player, the renamed Steel Town Three secured a residency at West Hollywood’s [[Troubadour (West Hollywood, California)|Troubadour]] nightclub, earning $750 weekly (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|750|1963|r=-1|end_year={{Inflation-year|US}}}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}}).{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=36}} 

In 1963, Parks' brother Benjamin Riley Parks, a French horn player and the youngest [[United States Department of State|State Department]] employee at the time, died in a car accident in Frankfurt, Germany. The circumstances surrounding the incident raised speculation of [[Cold War]] connections due to Benjamin's interest in Russian culture.{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=37}}{{refn|group=nb|Parks channeled this subject in his later song "By the People".{{sfn|Henderson|2010|pp=91–92}}}} Shortly afterward, Gilkyson commissioned Parks to arrange "[[The Bare Necessities]]" for [[Disney]]'s ''[[The Jungle Book]]'' (1967), providing funds that enabled Parks and Carson to attend Benjamin’s funeral.”{{sfn|Kubernik|2009|p=41}}{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=37}} This session at Los Angeles' [[Sunset Sound Recorders]] was Parks' first paid recording work.{{sfn|Kubernik|2009|p=41}} He subsequently played and arranged on other Disney soundtracks, including ''[[Savage Sam (film)|Savage Sam]]'' (1963) and ''[[The Moon-Spinners]]'' (1964),{{sfn|White|1996|p=266}} while Sunset Sound hosted much of his recordings through the 2000s.{{sfn|Kubernik|2009|p=41}}