Lectures About Music

The Life and Music of Richard Rogers

America’s greatest composer spent 22 years working with lyricist Lorenz Hart, writing many of the great American popular songs before working with Oscar Hammerstein on the legendary musicals: Oklahoma, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I and The Sound of Music. This is a story of his dramatic life. Ten of his greatest songs will be played.

The Life and Music of Cole Porter

Porter was from a small town in Indiana and his grandfather was the wealthiest man in the state. He was openly gay yet married a woman and remained married to her his entire life. Songs will include: “Let’s Do it Let’s Fall in Love,” “I Get a Kick Out of You, Anything Goes,” “Just One of Those Things” and “I Love Paris.”

The Life and Music of Harold Arlen

The son of a cantor from Buffalo, NY, Harold Arlen became one of America’s greatest song writers although was never famous like Gershwin, Rodgers and Porter. Featured songs include: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “Stormy Weather” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon.”

The Life and Music of Jerome Kern

Born in NYC in 1895, Jerome Kern may have been the most influential of the great American composers. Richard Rodgers and George Gershwin both stated that he was the seminal influence on their musical careers. Kern wrote the musical, Showboat, which broke ground and created the musical theater as we know it today. His great songs: “Ol’ Man River,” “Make Believe,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man,” “All The Things You Are,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” and others will be featured.