• Great Classical Composers:

  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn

• In this class we continue with the highly acclaimed PBS series, Great Performances: Now Hear This. Join us for the fascinating visual and musical narratives of two of the greatest composers of the late 18^th century. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) lived and worked during essentially the same time period. These documentaries highlight an exciting and unusual format hosted by Scott Yoo, the chief conductor and artistic director of the Mexico City Philharmonic. Mr. Yoo’s visits across various European cities show us first hand the life experiences that inspired Mozart’s and Haydn’s masterpieces. The presentations include an abundance of remarkable live music and delightful insights into some of the greatest works of these virtuosos.

  Show Description

• For online courses, a Zoom link will be sent to each registrant 24-48 hours in advance of the class.

• Fee: $15.00

• Instructor(s): Toby Teorey

• Dates: 4/28/2021 - 4/28/2021

  Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: W

• Building: Online Course

  Room: Online Class

•  Address: Online Ann Arbor, MI 48108

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• Blues and Rap: The Lyric Voice of Social Consciousness

• Blues and rap are arguably the most important American vocal innovations of the 20^th century, each of them distinctly African American and each deploying unruly four-beat meters, not the “standard” syllabic song meters. Both showcase an individual performer (usually male), but blues, sung to instrumental accompaniment, typically features melancholy or wry complaint, whereas rap, declaimed to a digitally mixed beat, features boasting, battling, or outspoken social criticism. Because blues grew out of the Jim Crow South, what needed saying often had to be said indirectly, and seldom earned fame and fortune. Although still subject to broad cultural hostility, rappers can say what they damn well please, successfully. In this class, focusing on poetics, we will compare and contrast how blues and hip-hop artists have addressed racist social injustice, policing, and incarceration.

  Show Description

• For online courses, a Zoom link will be sent to each registrant 24-48 hours in advance of the class.

• Fee: $15.00

• Instructor(s): Macklin Smith

• Dates: 4/29/2021 - 4/29/2021

  Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: Th

• Building: Online Course

  Room: Online Class

•  Address: Online Ann Arbor, MI 48108

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• How Realism Crept into American Musical Theatre

• Throughout the development of American musical theatre, we have witnessed an amazingly wide gamut of lyrics and musical compositions – from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim and Guettels. In this class Phil Simmons takes a close look at how the styles and trends in musical-theatre lyrics have affected the ease, or the difficulty, of creating fully-realized, believable characters. Join Phil as he examines how several composers have either helped or hindered the actors who sing their music to become "real" characters in the production.

  Show Description

• For online courses, a Zoom link will be sent to each registrant 24-48 hours in advance of the class.

• Fee: $15.00

• Instructor(s): Phil Simmons

• Dates: 6/18/2021 - 6/18/2021

  Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: F

• Building: Online Course

  Room: Online Class

•  Address: Online Ann Arbor, MI 48108

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• Songs of America's Women

• ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. Please contact our office for more information or to register.

• 

  Musician and vocalist Layla Ananda shares the stories (“herstories”) of America’s women as told through their songs. Women of all countries and cultures have always used music to express the joys and sorrows of their lives. The indigenous women of this land, along with women who came from Europe, Africa, and Asia, have relied on music to energize, soothe, celebrate, and mourn. The songs women have sung over decades and centuries have much to tell us about how our foremothers thought and felt. Sad songs and violent songs have been outlets for powerlessness and hard work, while songs of strength and daring show that women did not always accept their lot quietly, or at all. Some songs have remained intact over many generations, while others have been rewritten or newly created to fit new lives and times. In this class Layla will share songs of many styles, as well as the stories behind the songs. We will enjoy both Layla’s live performance and our own opportunity to sing along.

  Show Description

   

• Fee: $15.00

• Instructor: Layla Ananda

  Capacity Remaining: 81

• Dates: 4/19/2021 - 4/19/2021

  Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: M

• Building: Online Course

  Room: Online Class

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