Debbie & Neal Smatresk OLLI After Five Series   

John Carpenter’s blockbuster slasher Halloween premiered in 1978 and set the standard for the popular horror genre going forward. Despite their popularity, slashers get sidelined as “lowbrow” culture, which can rob us of finding value or meaning in this “frivolous” form of entertainment. In this session, we’ll discuss slashers in the context of their origin in the 1970s, and how Carpenter’s Halloween reflected the tumult of the decade. In our exploration, we’ll ask ourselves: when we watch slasher films, should we search for a deeper meaning, or just sit back and enjoy our frivolous, bloody entertainment?

Let’s rekindle the moment you grabbed a musical instrument for the very first time. Or the first time you listened to a song with intention of feeling the music. The Transylvanian Symphony recreates this emotion by highlighting the importance of music education and fine arts all over the world. From reconditioning musical instruments and spreading the gift of music in areas of need, to hosting the Joy of Music class where students of all ages learn to play and record music for a timeless experience, our organization invites you along as we share stories of travel to Nashville, TN and join forces with Gibson Gives, navigate the logistics of sending musical instruments worldwide with DHL, and summiting Mt Kilimanjaro all to make an impact with fine arts and music education. The Transylvanian Symphony takes seriously performing dramatic tales told for centuries with music, dance, and visual effects. Experience with us as we share a sneak peak of our latest production and performance of "Vasilisa the Beautiful" with music associated with the story’s antagonist, Baba Yaga, written by legendary composer Modest Mussorgsky. Understanding the emotions music can bring to characters in a play, human values, and individuals around the world is the first step to making the world a better place with Fine Arts and Music Education alongside Transylvanian Symphony Foundation (TSF).

The world knew Freddie Mercury as the flamboyant lead singer of the British rock group, Queen. Most did not know that the “British” rock star Freddie Mercury was actually a decolonization-era immigrant to England, a former colonial subject with Persian, South Asian, and East African heritage, named Farrokh Bulsara. In this talk, Dr. Nancy Stockdale analyzes the ways that Farrokh Bulsara became Freddie Mercury, creating a pop music persona that he spun as quintessentially English, yet, all the while, using his music to interrogate and send up British culture, as a form of postcolonial critique.