In this class, we will consider Leonard Cohen's 9th studio album, The Future (1992). Written during a time that witnessed both the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Los Angeles riots following the arrest and beating of Rodney King, this album is more political than most of Cohen's works. Among other things, it offers meditations on the nature and state of American democracy that still seem pertinent over 30 years after the album's initial release. Discussion will focus on the tracks "Democracy," "The Future," and "Anthem," but we will also consider the shape and nature of the entire album as it offers insight into Cohen's career as a singer/songwriter/poet and into the state of the world then and now.

The year 1970 was one of great change in American history, but it was also a year that produced some of the best popular music ever recorded, including tracks by the Beatles, the Jackson 5, Janis Joplin, and Simon & Garfunkel. Their songs have been part of the soundtrack of your life, but do you know the stories behind them? Donnie Summerlin will count down ten of the most interesting musical moments of 1970 and share their history. The session will be enhanced by music clips, videos, and photographs that give life to these entertaining stories.