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- Album Cover Design: A Brief History
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Speaker: Jane Dudley
Dates: 7/2/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Album covers are much more than just packaging. An album cover design can be as much a part of the identity of a record as its sound. This course will explore the history of album cover design from its beginning in the 1930s through the cool jazz of the 50s; rock and roll and psychedelia in the 60s; the golden age of the album cover in the 70s; the rise of Punk, New Wave, and Hip Hop in the 80s; to the demise of vinyl records in the 90s and the rise of digital art today. We’ll listen to some of the music while we examine some of the great album cover artists and photographers.
This in-person class will meet on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Baseball Movies
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Speaker: Joseph Harris
Dates: 7/2/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
What better time than midsummer to watch and discuss some movies about baseball? For decades, American filmmakers have made movies that have both celebrated the game and used it to comment on the workings of race, gender, region, and money in our culture. We will screen and talk about one baseball movie each week, along with some clips from related films. Our viewing list will likely include Eight Men Out, A League of Their Own, Bang the Drum Slowly, Sugar, and Moneyball. These films offer insights into sports, society, and the art of film.
This in-person class will meet on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Coming of Age on the Silver Screen
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Speaker: David Shifren
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Coming-of-age stories often show the journey from adolescence to adulthood, but they needn't always focus on teenage years. Film characters who advance in self-awareness and consciousness of others deserve discussion no matter what their age. What sparks the change and keeps the character marching forward despite obstacles is what will fuel our talks about films that perch protagonists on the doorstep to some new world —then show them taking that fateful step forward. Films include: To Kill a Mockingbird, American Graffiti, Saturday Night Fever, Desperately Seeking Susan, and About Schmidt.
This in-person class will meet on June 27, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. There is no class July 4.
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- Famous Classical Music Themes
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Speaker: Raymond Uy
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Many of the most famous classical music themes have been presented in memorable ways, including through film and television. These presentations often create associations that add another layer of mood and character to the music. In this course, we will listen to many famous examples and discuss how we may remember them. You may recall much more classical music than you think!
This online class will meet on June 27, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. There will be no class July 4.
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- Female Composers
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Explore the songs and times of the great female songwriters of stage and screen. Using clips from Broadway, film, and television, we will share composers’ life stories, hits and misses, some gossip (all in good fun), and appreciate their genius. We will concentrate on female composers such as Mary Rodgers, Betty Comden, Dorothy Fields, and Carolyn Leigh. If music is the food of life, let us gorge ourselves.
This online class will meet on June 28, July 12, 19, 26 and August 2. There is no class July 5.
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- Film Noir 1950-1981
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Speaker: Steven Cherry
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Many people love film noir but may not be able to define it. Despite millions of words written about it (or perhaps because of them!), there is widespread disagreement about the genre. The term was invented in France by the so-called new wave directors and critics who had studied American thriller or detective films made in the 1940s and 1950s, though it is not clear how many are really noir. This course will focus on films made between 1950-1981.
This in-person class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- History of American Independent Cinema
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Speaker: Daniel Singleton
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Independent films have been around since the birth of cinema. But what "independent" means has changed dramatically over time. Some independent film movements, such as "Poverty Row" films of the 1940s and drive-in movies of the 1950s are economically independent of Hollywood studios and are often made with less money and fewer resources than mainstream films. Other independent film movements, such as the "indiewood" blockbusters of the 1990s and early 2000s, are aesthetically independent and tell different kinds of stories in different ways than mainstream films. This course will survey a range of different approaches to independent filmmaking through lectures, screenings, and discussion.
This in-person class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Around the World With American Movie Musicals
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Participants can travel around the world with American movie musicals. Numerous countries and cultures have been the featured setting of some of the most beloved musical films: France, England, and Latin America, just to name a few. Idolized visions or stereotypes aside, these films inspire travelers to explore the world.
This online class will meet on May 17, 24, 31, June 7, and 14.
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- Music: Controversies and Curiosities
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Speaker: Emanuel Abramovits
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 6/12/2024
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Music has often been a source of controversy. In their goal for originality, musicians sometimes push the envelope too far and pay the price. This course will analyze some of these controversial pieces of music. Some of them were revolutionary ones that challenged established norms and created great discord. Some even created moral panics that led to cries for censorship, when they were released or decades later. These controversies happened in classical, pop music, and music for the stage and screen.
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, and 12.
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- Opera: A Five-Course Meal
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Speaker: Marilyn Egan
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 6/12/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Opera composers need to eat like everybody else. Some of the most famous opera creators are gourmands, while others are clearly not foodies. Rossini was famously known for his love of food, but little is known about Mozart’s eating habits. Which opera composers mention food in their operas? How important was food to Puccini? How could you plan an elegant dinner party based on a specific opera? Discover facts about opera composers’ personal lives and tastes while listening to great operatic creations. This course will include a delicious collection of recipes inspired by opera, while enjoying music that tastes "good to the ear.”
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, and 12.
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- Taylor Swift: The Sum and Substance
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Speaker: Jessica Lynch
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 6/11/2024
Times: 3:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
“Someday, I'll be livin' in a big, ole city / And all you're ever gonna be is mean / Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me” —Taylor Swift, 2010, “Speak Now.” Taylor Swift is a current cultural phenomenon. How did she get to be where she is? Is there nothing she can't do, whether boost NFL ratings or influence U.S. presidential elections? Dive into a study of her background, lyrics, marketing, business dealings, and recordings to see how she became worth $1.1 billion with worldwide social and economic dominance.
This in-person class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, and 11.
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