Gil Harel | Brandeis University December 2nd, 7pm – 9pm ET

As rock music ascended to unprecedented heights in the 20th century, many sub-genres emerged reflecting elements connected to culture and geography. Among the most successful and sonically entrancing of these are the styles intertwined with African American musicians and producers of this period. This transmutation of traditional rock melded with rhythm and blues became broadly known as “Motown,” after the city that served as unofficial headquarters during this remarkable period. Often eschewing the simplicity of established rock and roll standards, songs from these idioms typically evince nuanced chord progressions, incisive rhythms, complex and layered harmony, and a bold, improvisational singing approach that is often cited as reflecting consciousness and pride in being Black.

Marc Lapadula | Yale University December 20th, 2021 – 7pm – 9pm ET

As the Holiday Season rolls around, we all have our own favorite Christmas-themed movies. From the many incarnations of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, to Frank Capra’s perennially televised It’s a Wonderful Life, these beloved stories remind us (or at least try to) that there is much more to Christmas than over-commercialization and extravagant gift-giving. Sort of an ironic message, as the Christmas-themed films rolled out each year by the major studios the day after Thanksgiving have the sole mission of selling as many tickets as they can, while fiercely competing against other holiday films with a vengeance! But irony and sarcasm aside, feel-good movies that remind us that our families and loved ones are the greatest gift of all do serve an important purpose.  Christmas is ultimately a time to think beyond personal needs and go out of our way to think about others: family members, friends and colleagues.

Jeffrey Engel | Southern Methodist University January 12th & 19th, 2022 – 7pm – 8:30 pm ET

Can our Republic be saved? Does it need to be? The United States has faced three great existential crises in our long history. Each time a great leader emerged to see us through. George Washington unified a fractious new nation. Abraham Lincoln saved the Union almost three generations later. Three generations after that it was Franklin Roosevelt’s turn, faced with a Great Depression and global war. Their genius and savvy saved the United States, but three generations after FDR we face profound questions about national unity, and its survival. Professor Jeffrey Engel is one of the country’s foremost experts on Presidents and their leadership styles, and he feels History may show us through – and perhaps reveal another presidential great along the way.

Brian Carpenter | Washington University in St. Louis January 27th & February 3rd, 2021 – 7:00 – 9:00 PM EDT

No matter how old you are, you’re aging. You started aging from the moment you were born, and you’ll continue aging until the moment you die. That’s the brutal, universal fact. But people age differently, as you’ve noticed if you’ve looked around and compared yourself to your peers. Are you aging better than they are? Worse than they are? In what ways and for what reasons? In this expanded intensive class we’ll review what biological, psychological, and social research has taught us about growing older. Along the way, we’ll discuss what’s common with aging (everybody shrinks a little), what’s not normal (Alzheimer’s is a disease not everyone gets), and key components of successful aging (friends and family are important, but perhaps in different ways). The trajectory of aging gets shaped very early in life, but there are powerful forces that guide it along the way, and steps you can take to maximize your later years.