presents

One Day University

Fascinating talks by over 300 remarkable professors
chosen from 150 top-tier schools.

One Day University Seattle Times Series

Sponsored by


On November 14, 15, and 16, One Day University will be presenting three remarkable talks featuring award-winning professors from across the country.

Each talk will air from 5:30 – 6:30 PST and is about 45 minutes with a 15 minute Q&A session. We hope you’ll join us for one, two, or all three of these talks and rediscover the joy of lifelong learning.

A link to view the talks will be sent to all registrants prior to each session.

The talks are FREE thanks to The Seattle Times and AARP Washington, but you must register.


All courses are from 5:30 – 6:30PM PST

November 14

The Music of John Williams: Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars… and more

Gil Harel / Brandeis University

Perhaps no composer in the canon of cinematic music has had a more prolific career than John Williams. Indeed, over the past seven decades, this remarkable artist–known for his frequent collaborations with director Steven Spielberg–has scored films spanning a veritable cornucopia of genres. What, can we surmise, is the secret to his success? Among his many gifts as a composer, John Williams is a master of the musical leitmotif – melodic cells that provide an aural reference to a character, place, object, or idea in a given story. Whether capturing the looming threat of a menacing shark, a bicycle suspended against the backdrop of a moonlit firmament, imagination-defying colossal dinosaurs, or iconic lightsaber-wielding warriors, Williams has demonstrated an uncanny ability to craft infectious musical lines that seem perfectly suited to the material. During this lecture, Professor Gil Harel will provide an analysis of several scores, demonstrating how his music is of paramount importance to the films they frame.

November 15

Five Turning Points in American History

Ed O’Donnell / College of the Holy Cross

In the relatively short history of the United States, there have been many turning points and landmark movements that irrevocably altered the direction of the nation and signaled the dramatic start of a new historical reality. Some took the form of groundbreaking political and philosophical concepts; some were dramatic military victories and defeats. Still others were nationwide social and religious movements, or technological and scientific innovations.

What all of these turning points had in common, is that they forever changed the character of America. Sometimes the changes brought about by these events were obvious; sometimes they were more subtle. Sometimes the effects of these turning points were immediate; other times, their aftershocks reverberated for decades. Regardless, these great historical turning points demand to be understood

November 16

How Music Shapes the Brain

Indre Viskontas / University of San Francisco

Neuroscientist and opera singer/director, Dr. Indre Viskontas, illustrates the wide-ranging power of music to shape our brains, heal our pain and strengthen our communities. The musician’s brain is hailed as a model of neuroplasticity, because of the many ways that learning and performing music changes it. But even listeners’ brains are altered, as brainwaves entrain to rhythms and brain activity and neurochemistry track the rise and fall of the music.  In this talk, Dr. Viskontas will explain the magical way in which music can bring us together–even in a pandemic.


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