Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Florida International University

Biscayne Bay Campus
 3000 NE 151 ST, North Miami, FL 33181
Academic One Building, Room 212
Register by: e-mail OLLI@fiu.edu  Phone 305-919-5910  Fax 305-919-5484


The American Music Revival
a six week series of lectures with
Rod MacDonald
2012 FAU Distinguished Faculty Member (Lifelong Learning Program)

Thursdays noon-2:30 pm September 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29


Course description:
Building on the foundation of American folksong, a new generation of musical artists turned the stories of their lives into enduring songs, blending roots and myth with passion, humor, commitment to a progressive society, and telling our society’s history in song. This course will examine the work, biographies and lasting importance of these musical artists, and attempt to sort myth from reality using CDs, live videos and excerpts from feature films, live performances and a few surprises.

Lecture 1: The Beginning: The Carter Family, Theo Bikel
Lecture 2
:  The Front Lines: Phil Ochs, Donovan  
Lecture 3: Storytellers: Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Don McLean
Lecture 4:
Outside The Box: The Chieftains, Johnny Cash
Lecture 5:
Carry It On: Bruce Springsteen, The Seeger Sessions
Lecture 6:
Traditional Music In Film: T Bone Burnette, Alison Krause

Rod MacDonald is a professional singer/songwriter, a leading voice in the "new folk" 1980s in Greenwich Village, NY club and, since 1995, in Florida. He has 21 songs in the Smithsonian Folkways collection and 11 solo cds, including "Later That Night"  in 2014,  and "Big Tent" with Big Brass Bed. He regularly appears in festivals, clubs and concert venues, locally and throughout North America and Europe, and was named "Best Local Acoustic Performer" by New Times, one of "Ten magnificent musicians of Palm Beach County" by the Palm Beach Post, and one of the New Times' "10 Greatest South Florida Folksingers Of All Time." This is his third course for FIU/Osh.