Music Americana: Music for the Ages

Osher/FAU Lifelong Learning–Jupiter, FL   Tuesdays 2:30 pm

Creating music that lasts, a few artists remain celebrated through the years, their songs legendary, their styles imitated but never surpassed, their triumphs and losses brilliantly conveyed in their work. From the shocking symphonies of Stravinsky to the shock humor of “The Producers;” from Gershwin’s bluesified opera “Porgy & Bess” to the epic cool of Miles Davis; from the defiant passion of Edith Piaf to the working man’s poet Bruce Springsteen, great music and songs carry on the story of our times.  This course will examine the work, biographies and enduring importance of these musical artists, and attempt to sort myth from reality, using updated videos and excerpts from feature films, live performances and a few surprises.

This is a pre-recorded class. If you would like to ask the instructor a question following your viewing of the video, please email ollijupiter@fau.edu.

Eight Lectures

1. The Russians Are Coming – Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky
2. Blues And The Opera – “Porgy & Bess,” Ella Fitzgerald
3. The Art Of Confession – Edith Piaf, Joni Mitchell
4. The Swingers – Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick, Jr.
5. The Horn Section – Miles Davis, Branford & Wynton Marsalis
6. Smart Guys With Guitars – Buddy Holly, Paul Simon
7. The New Broadway Musical – “The Producers,” “The Band’s Visit”
8. The Legacy – Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen