Music and Other Educational Courses for Adults and Teenagers
#1 - “Rock and Roll History: A Journey in Sounds - 1949 to 1964” (Approximately 1 hour)
This session will first define “Rock and Roll” music and then go into some basic music theory before covering historical, cultural and other related information. Several types of music that contributed to Rock and Roll, including Blues, Jump Blues, Rockabilly and Folk music will then be reviewed. Pioneers and early contributors to the music will be introduced and samples of their music played. The “first” Rock and Roll records ever recorded will be played followed by some of the “Top 10” hits and “One-Hit Wonders” beginning from 1949 and ending in 1964.
#2 - “Rock and Roll History: The (First) British Invasion - 1963 to 1967” (Approximately 1 hour)
Events leading up to the British Invasion will be discussed, including background and historical information followed by a chronology of events. The Beatles’ performance on the Ed Sullivan Show will be shown and a discussion of other aspects of the invasion will follow, including fashion, image, culture, dances and others. Waning influence and the end of the invasion will be described. During the balance of the session, performances by artists from the Animals to the Zombies will be played, reserving the Rolling Stones and The Beatles to the end of the session.
#3 - “Rock and Roll History: An Introduction to Progressive Rock and Other Rock Stars of the 1970’s”
(Approximately 1 hour)
This program will begin with an historical perspective of the early 1970’s followed by definitions and a discussion of the geographic origination of Progressive Rock. The characteristics, musical form, instrumentation, lyrical themes and social commentary will be introduced. Album covers exhibiting spectacular art renditions will be shown. Progressive Rock and other artists of the 70’s will be introduced and their recordings played during the balance of the session.
#4 – “Music from Non-Musical Movies” (Approximately 1 hour)
In this session, the history of the use of music from “silent” pictures, “Talkies” and commercial movies will be discussed and examples shown. An explanation of 18 specific purposes of musical scores will then be presented, with examples shown. How sound, and specifically music, is integrated into movies will be explained. Musical scores from several films, including Ben Hur, Forrest Gump, Out of Africa and The Godfather will be described and then played. This will be followed by scenes from a number of movies with information sharing about each of the films’ content and musical artists.
#5 – “Great Music: Going for Baroque” or “If it ain’t Baroque…don’t fix it!”
(3 Hours in 2 or 3 Sessions or Up to 8 Hours in 4 or 6 Sessions)
This program will begin with the reading of a short poem about music by John Dryden entitled, “A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day (1687).” The definition of Baroque music and its history, including what had preceded it and what followed it will be discussed. The three major phases of Baroque music will be introduced along with some of the composers from each phase. Each of the 39 Baroque musical instruments will be demonstrated via videos followed by some of the 42 composers of this period and their music will then be played.
#6 – “Sustainable Energy: It’s Not Just Wind and Solar Anymore”
(3 Hours in 2 or 3 Sessions or Up to 8 Hours in 4 or 6 Sessions)
This mini-course is given in two 90 minute sessions and begins with a general introduction to the history of renewable and alternative energy in the United States and the rest of the world. Specific forms of energy production will then be discussed in depth, including hydro, biomass, landfill gas, geothermal, ocean / tidal / wave energy, waste to energy and fuels, thermal decomposition and depolymerization, fuel cells, combined cycle/CHP/cogeneration, direct heat to power, hydrogen, nuclear fusion and piezogenic power. Yes, we will also discuss wind and solar technologies.
#7 - “The Turbulent Decade of the 60’s”
(3 Hours in 2 or 3 sessions or Up to 8 Hours in 4 or 6 Sessions)
This mini-course is offered in 2 or 3 sessions for a total of 3 hours. We will review the 10 years of the 1960’s in significant detail, including Politics, Economics, Disasters, Social Movements, Science, Technology, Pop Culture, Music, People and World Events.
#8 - “The Beatles: A Comprehensive Review of their 100 Greatest Hits”
(4 Hours in 3 or 4 sessions or Up to 8 Hours in 4 or 6 Sessions)
This subject covers the history of the Beatles and their music from 1960 to 1970, including information on each of their top 100 hits as rated by Rolling Stone Magazine, lyricist(s), chart position and date of recording. Most of their “Top 100” songs will then be played via linked videos. The 8 hour version of this program can be presented with live musical accompaniment by Carl Fernstrum, local singer/pianist, with whom this presentation has been co-developed.
#9 - “Cleveland Music History – From Bach to Zelenka” - (Approximately 1 hour)
This mini-course traces music history, culture and institutions in the City of Cleveland and Northeastern Ohio from the 1800’s to the present day. Special emphasis will be given to the Cleveland Orchestra, including its two venues, Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center, the Cleveland Pops, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Music Settlement, City Music Cleveland and Apollo’s Fire.
#10 - “Rock and Roll History – The Cleveland Connection” – (Approximately 1 hour)
This mini-course traces Cleveland’s influence in the development of Rock and Roll music from the 1950’s to the present day. Important events in local Rock and Roll history will be discussed. Rock and Roll hits from the late 1940’s through 1964 will trace the evolution of this music. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will be introduced and its influence described.
#11 – “The Beatles’ Twenty #1 Hits” – (Approximately 1 hour)
This presentation provides background information on the rise of the British Invasion and the phenomenon of the Beatles. It then introduces each of their twenty US #1 hits as determined by Billboard magazine with information on recording and distribution dates, weeks at #1 and other important information. The songs are then played and lyrics displayed to facilitate an audience sing-along.
#12 – “The Art of Pop Music – ABBA” – (Approximately 1 hour)
An extensive presentation of the history of the Swedish popular group ABBA will be covered. Their 1974 win of the Eurovision singing contest, their recording career, musical plays and movies using their songs will be presented. A selection of their music will be played.
#13 – “The Art of Pop Music – Aerosmith” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Aerosmith, or “The Bad Boys from Boston,” is one of the greatest rock and roll bands in history. Formed in Boston in 1971, we will trace their career from their first successful album through today. A selection of their music will be played.
#14 –“The Art of Pop Music – Al Green” – (Approximately 1 hour)
A biography of soul singer Al Green, often known as “The Reverand Al Green,” will be introduced and discussed. His soul hit singles from the 70’s, including “Tired of Being Alone,” “I’m Still in Love With You” and his signature song, “Let’s Stay Together” will be played.
#15 – “The Art of Pop Music – Alice Cooper” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Alice Cooper, the “Godfather of Shock Rock” will be introduced and his career discussed. He is credited with shaping the sound and look of heavy metal. A selection of his music will be played.
#16 –“The Art of Pop Music – The Allman Brothers Band” – (Approximately 1 hour)
This class will cover the career of the Allman Brothers Band from their formation in 1969 through today. Their 1971 live release, “At Fillmore East,” was an artistic breakthrough and is considered among the best live albums ever made. A selection of their music will be played.
#17 - “The Art of Pop Music – Aretha Franklin” - (Approximately 1 hour)
Aretha Franklin recorded a total of 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and twenty number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart's history. We will follow her career from 1967 through her performance at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors concert and play selections of her music.
#18 – “The Art of Pop Music – The Bee Gees” - (Approximately 1 hour)
The Bee Gees were a family group that got its start in the UK in 1958. We will follow their careers from Manchester, England to Australia and back, including their two distinct periods of success: pop music in the 60’s and 70’s and during the disco era of the late 70’s. A selection of their music will be played.
#19 – “The Art of Pop Music – Carol King” - (Approximately 1 hour)
Carole King’s career began at age 8 with a performance of “If I Knew You Were Coming, I’d’ve Baked a Cake” on a children’s radio program in New York. Her career as a composer and performer will be presented along with many of her songs sung by both herself and other artists for whom she composed. The program will follow her career from the 1950’s through her 2015 induction as an Honoree of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
#20 – “The Art of Pop Music – Chicago” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Chicago: The “Rock Band with horns!” is introduced and their music explained. A number of their songs are presented chronologically along with historical information about the group and its large turnover of members. Their philanthropy is also presented.
#21 – “The Art of Pop Music – Neil Diamond” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Neil Diamond’s career as a singer/songwriter got off to a rocky start, but once his early songs began being covered by other artists, he took off like a rocket. We will learn about his early life, the lean 7 years before he became a household name. We’ll listen to a number of his most memorable recordings and learn about the many honors he has earned as a recording artist.
#22 – “The History of Jazz Music” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Born in America, jazz can be seen as a reflection of cultural diversity and individualism. At its core are openness to all influences and personal expression through improvisation. From its origins and evolution through the 20th and into the 21st century, the class will learn about jazz artists and their music. But mainly, we will listen to the sensational music from New Orleans to Kansas City to both coasts whose influence has spread worldwide.
#23 – “The Art of Pop Music – Barry Manilow ” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Barry Manilow got his big break while working with Bette Midler at the Baths in New York City. He became her Musical Director and went on to become one of the most recognized singer/songwriters of his day. We will be learning about his life and hearing a number of his most popular hit songs.
#24 – “The History of American Folk Music” – (Approximately 1 hour)
The “Music of the Common Man” will be presented in historical context beginning in the dustbowl years of the 1930’s through the current time. Short biographies of such artists as Woody Guthrie, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, Joni Mitchell, Pete Seger, Gordon Lightfoot, Simon and Garfunkel and many others will be presented and samples of their music played.
#25 – “The Art of Pop Music – Bette Midler” – (Approximately 1 hour)
This presentation follows the career of “The Divine Miss M” from her birth in Honolulu, Hawaii through her move to New York and beyond. In addition to learning about her life and musical successes, we will listen to many of her recordings.
#26 – “American Folk and Folk Rock Legends – Simon & Garfunkel – (Approximately 1 hour)
We will follow this American Folk Rock duo from their first meeting in 3rd grade in the 1950’s through their multiple #1 hits, including “Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Boxer.” Their music will be shown in “sing-a-long” format with the lyrics on the screen!
#27 – “The Art of Pop Music – Billy Joel” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Billy Joel is one of the top singer/songwriters of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. We will learn about his background and listen to many of his hit songs, including “Piano Man,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and “The Longest Time,” and explore some of the high (and low) points of his career.
#28 – “History and Music of the 1930’s” – (Approximately 1 hour)
This class begins with an introduction to early folk singers Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly and goes into the history of the market crash of 1929 and the Dust Bowl of the early 1930’s. What follows is biographical information about several important musical groups, bands and singers accompanied by their music as well as newsreels about important historical events for each year of the decade of the 30’s.
#29 – “Broadway Musicals – 1949 to 1960” – (Approximately 1 hour)
This presentation will provide a brief perspective on the history of the Tony Awards. This will be followed with introductions to the winning musicals from 1949 to 1960. Such memorable plays as The King and I, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Kismet and others will be discussed and a song from each will be played.
#30 – “History and Music of the 1940’s” – (Approximately 1 hour)
As the USA is pulled into World War II, the musical appetite of the average American is seen to be changing from the “Era of the Big Band” to the “Era of the Crooner.” We will follow the major developments of this important decade’s history as well as play important music beginning in 1940 through 1949.
#31 – “History and Music of the 1950’s” – (Approximately 1 hour)
The early 1950’s marked the beginning of “Rock ‘n Roll” music. Additionally, there were a lot of major historical events that took place during this decade. This presentation includes a look at both these events and the music of early Rock ‘n Roll that took the country and the world by storm during the decade of the 50’s.
#32 – “Classic Television Programs of the 1950’s” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Television became widely available in the United States in the 1950’s. Early TV series were broadcast in black and white until color technology became available in the 1960’s. This presentation focuses on early 50’s black and white television programs, sharing information and then playing videos from 17 of them including “Father Knows Best,” “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Honeymooners,” “I Love Lucy,” “Lassie,” “Howdy Doodie” and more.
#33 – “History of Folk Rock Music” – (Approximately 1 hour)
Folk-Rock takes the simple, direct songwriting style of folk music and melds it to a prominent rock & roll backbeat. The music of Folk Rock artists including Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, The Mamas and the Papas, Crosby, Stills and Nash and many others will be played and interesting biographical information shared.
#34, #35, #36 and #37 – “The King’s Music – Elvis Lives! – Parts One through Four – (Each Approximately 1 hour)
Elvis Presley was a “phenomenon” in the early 1950’s through his death in 1977. His music can be divided into three parts, with some overlap: Early Elvis (1950 through 1958, when he was drafted into the U.S. Army), Elvis in the Movies (31 movies from 1956 through 1969) and Late Elvis (1965 to 1977). We will track his singing career and play many of his “Top 40” songs.
#38 – “More than what You Thought You Knew About Recycling – But Didn’t Really Know!” – (Approximately 1 hour)
There are many consumer commodities that can be recycled including paper, cardboard, plastics and others. This presentation will explain the various methods of recycling all of these plus some technologies that you’ve likely never heard of, including pyrolysis and gasification. Examples of how Denmark deals with recycling from a national perspective will be explained.
#39 – Classic Television Programs of the ‘50’s – Part II - (Approximately 1 hour)
Television became widely available in the United States in the 1950’s. Early TV series were broadcast in black and white until color technology became available in the 1960’s. This presentation focuses on early 50’s black and white television programs, sharing information and then playing videos from 17 of them including “The Loretta Young Theater,” “Beat the Clock,” “The Steve Allen Show,” “The $64,000 Question,” “Perry Mason,” “The Dinah Shore Show,” “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and more.
#40 – “History and Music of the 1960’s” – (Approximately 1 hour)
The 1960’s were full of historical importance and great music. Some of the topics covered in this presentation include the election and subsequent assassination of John F. Kennedy, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voter Rights Act of 1965, the build up to the Vietnam war, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the “Summer of Love,” the hippy movement, the Woodstock and Altamont concerts, the British Invasion and other memorable events, trends and music.
#41 – “50 Years Later: Looking Back at Woodstock” – (Approximately 1 hour)
After a short introduction with the history of the late 60’s including the MLK and RFK assassinations, the Vietnam War era, the Hippie Movement and drug culture, this presentation will culminate with the Woodstock music concert of August 1969. Some music videos from the late 60’s and several of the actual Woodstock concert acts will follow. Finally, we will review some important history of the first 3 years of the 1970’s.
#42 - “The Story of Queen” - (Approximately 1 Hour)
Queen is a British band that started up in 1970. Its music has won large audiences worldwide, with estimated record sales of between 170 and 300 million units. The recent movie, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” chronicles their early period and successes. This program will provide significant details about Queen and play several of their most iconic songs.
#43 – “The Music of Barbra Streisand” - (Approximately 1 Hour)
Barbra Streisand is the “Grande Dame” of music and movies during the last half of the 20th Century. This program will first provide her biographical and professional information, including some details of her personal life. We will then listen to 10 of her top hit songs including “Woman in Love,” “Evergreen,” Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and “You Don’t Bring me Flowers,” the last of which was sung as a duet with Neil Diamond.
#44 – “Alfred Hitchcock – His Greatest Films” - (1 or 2 Sessions, each 1 Hour)
Alfred Hitchcock was a master director of mystery movies with surprise endings in the early and middle parts of the 20th Century. He was also a very active anti-fascist as some of his movies confirm. This presentation will offer information on many of his greatest films, including “Rear Window,” “Psycho,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “North by Northwest,” as well as others. Select scenes from each of the movies will be played.
#45 – “The Music of Frank Sinatra” – (Approximately 1 Hour)
This presentation covers biographical information about “Old Blue Eyes,” Frank Sinatra from his humble beginnings through the 1990’s. He was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997.
Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. We will hear 11 of his most famous recorded songs.
Presentations can be provided in 60, 75 or 90 minute formats. All single session presentations are $100 and a discount is offered for non-profits and multiple bookings. Multi-session programs are $175 and a discount is offered for non-profits and multiple bookings, as well. Dr. Keller is willing to negotiate his fee for 6 or more bookings in a 12-month period.
New programs are developed on a regular basis. If you’d like Dr. Keller to put together a presentation for your organization on a subject not on this list, feel free to call.
All programs utilize PowerPoint slide shows, integrated with video and audio accompaniment to provide an enhanced interactive experience for the audience.
PLEASE NOTE: Each of the musical programs have also been adapted for Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Memory Care individuals by concentrating on their musical content and limiting interactive verbal accompaniment to levels understandable by each individual audience. By using this approach, such patients / residents have consistently responded well to each of the programs.
joelsk@gmx.com