Music   

Six weekly classes on how the top composers experience their struggles, secrets and how they find their groove to write the music for westerns, action films, comedy and romance, through the scores of composers like Elmer Bernstein (The Magnificent Seven), Jerry Goldsmith (Alien), Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings) and many more. Audiovisuals and anecdotes will explain how their music evolved in a world of changing trends.  

More than ever, music is a fundamental component of a film's emotional force, and we'll explore what's behind the best film scores in today's evolving world. Anecdotes and superb audiovisuals will introduce us into the artistic and the business aspects of the music of Thomas Newman (American Beauty), Has Zimmer (Interstellar), Rachel Portman (Emma), Justin Hurwitz (La La Land) and more composers of a fantastic new generation, who are allowing us "to see the films with new eyes and hear them with new ears."  

Join us for a journey through Mozart's life and music. His is a fascinating study of the workings of a highly creative heart and mind. Don't get left behind!

Join us for a journey through Mozart's life and music. His is a fascinating study of the workings of a highly creative heart and mind. Don't get left behind!

Join us for a journey through Mozart's life and music. His is a fascinating study of the workings of a highly creative heart and mind. Don't get left behind!
You did not have to attend Pt 1 to attend Pt 2.

Join us for a journey through Mozart's life and music. His is a fascinating study of the workings of a highly creative heart and mind. Don't get left behind!
You did not have to attend Pt 1 to attend Pt 2.

Experience orchestral works from within by playing them with the OLLI Orchestra, an ensemble of music-loving amateurs. Our weekly rehearsals emphasize music appreciation and an atmosphere of mutual support. Making music builds community. We will present a concert for the public at the end of the semester. OLLI Orchestra is open to all instrumentalists of all ability. New or prospective members are welcome to come and sit in on a rehearsal before joining.

This class will showcase the music and the artists of rock's greatest decade. You’ll watch music videos, interviews with the artists, and learn their compelling personal stories. The 70s were a great time to be a hard rock fan – David Bowie, Joe Walsh, Thin Lizzy, Heart, Kansas, and others electrified FM radio. The 70s also gave us a decade of R&B classics from Stevie Wonder, the Staple Singers, the Commodores, the Brothers Johnson, etc. You'll also learn about the era of singer-songwriters like James Taylor, J.J. Cale, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of three legendary albums from 1973 - Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Paul McCartney's Band On the Run, and ZZ Top's Tres Hombres. This class will also feature Top 40 hitmakers like Billy Joel, Jim Croce, and Fleetwood Mac. And, you'll hear the intriguing stories behind some of 70s best album covers.

In this class, you will learn the incredible life stories of David Geffen, the ambitious music and movie executive who established a vast Hollywood empire, and Shep Gordon, who was fired his first day as a California parole officer and went on to manage Alice Cooper, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Groucho Marx, Raquel Welch, and many other performers. Geffen started his career in the mailroom of a New York City talent agency by submitting a fake resume. In 1971, he founded Asylum Records and signed the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and Joni Mitchell. Along the way, he had an affair with Cher (even though he was gay), was misdiagnosed with terminal cancer, and founded Geffen Records in the 80s, whose artists included Donna Summer, John Lennon, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, and Guns N’ Roses. In 1994, Geffen, Steven Spielberg, and Jeffrey Katzenberg created the legendary DreamWorks movie studios. Shep Gordon is the un-famous man that Rolling Stone magazine named as one of the most 100 influential people in music and movies. He’s also credited with creating the celebrity chef, which revolutionized the food industry. His clients include culinary legends, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Daniel Boulud and many more. He was the subject of the highly-acclaimed 2013 documentary, Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon.

The Pops Chorale, led by Artistic/Musical Director Lorin Miller, is an auditioned choral group of about 75 singers that performs with its own orchestra. The Chorale puts on two major concert series each year, in May and in December. Membership in the chorale is by audition, which takes place twice a year and can be arranged via the Chorale website,  www.thepopschorale.com. Prospective members must have the ability to both sing and dance, as each semester several professionally choreographed pieces are performed by the Chorale during each of our shows. Auditions can be arranged on the Pops Website, www.thepopschorale.com 

Were you in Band in High School? Middle School? Do you wish you still played? Do you consider yourself a music loving amateur performer? If so, this class is for you! Welcome to the Truckee-Tahoe Community Band. If you have the desire to play with others in an ensemble setting, and prior but not necessarily current experience, then join us on Wednesday nights for a musical adventure. We will work together to interpret and perform fun band literature. The class will culminate in a performance. Music builds community – come join us!

Truckee-Tahoe Community Chorus: The course is designed for college-aged students through seniors for the study of selected styles and periods of music culminating in the performance of selected repertoire. The course curriculum includes discussion of musical elements, composition, vocabulary and history as well as vocal technique.

A cover song is a new recording of a previously recorded song by someone other than the original artist. For example, "When Will I Be Loved" was written by the Everly Brothers, who had a top-ten hit with it in 1960. Linda Ronstadt covered the song in 1975, and her version was an even bigger hit peaking at No. 2. The best covers can truly reinvent a song – sometimes so much so that they become the definitive recordings. Otis Redding wrote “Respect” and recorded it first, but Aretha Franklin made the song her own. This class will feature great cover songs from rock, pop, and soul music from the 1960s up to today. You’ll hear the original songs and the cover versions, and learn the compelling stories about both the original artists and the performers who recorded the covers.