Workshops & Lectures
Osher Lifelong Learning Society, Florida Atlantic University
New courses and concerts for Fall 2025

  Updated October 20, 2025. Rod MacDonald also lectures for private organizations (see list of lectures)
and leads workshops for songwriters 
     
LLS members can register at the links here. Non-members call (Jupiter 561-799-8547) or (Boca Raton 561-297-3171) to register.  Either attend live In-Person or sign up for Video Catch-up, available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video. Separate registration is required for each lecture.

Music Americana fall lectures:

1."The Great Protest Songs"
Jupiter (Tues 2:30 pm) 11/18
Boca Raton (Wed 3 pm) 11/19

2. "The Sound Of Her Voice: Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris
Jupiter (Tues 2:30 pm 11/25)
Boca Raton (Wed 3 pm 12/18)
"Bob Dylan: The First Ten Years"
with Rod MacDonald & The Humdingers

Boca Raton 12/4/25   7 pm
Jupiter 12/11 7 pm


Experience the timeless music and poetry of Bob Dylan in this unforgettable concert! Arriving in New York in 1961 with a guitar and a head full of Woody Guthrie songs, Dylan quickly became the voice of a generation. From folk anthems like Blowin’ in the Wind and The Times They Are A-Changin’ to the poetic brilliance of Mr. Tambourine Man and the groundbreaking Like a Rolling Stone, his songs continue to inspire. Join Rod MacDonald & The Humdingers as they bring Dylan’s early masterpieces to life, celebrating the legendary songwriter’s enduring impact. Don’t miss this night of music, storytelling, and lyrical genius!

"Engaging, enjoyable, and very professional musicians" OLLI Patron

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after the live lecture.

The Great Protest Songs
Rod MacDonald
Recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Faculty Award

Protest songs have been a powerful force for generations, from I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier in 1916 to the iconic tunes of the ‘60s by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and others. Today, even as media consolidation has diminished their visibility, independent composers continue to create inspiring songs of justice and freedom. Join Rod MacDonald, Music Americana lecturer and co-producer of The Greenwich Village Folk Festival, for a dynamic video and live presentation of both historic and contemporary protest songs. This program will feature music full of humor, passion, and commitment to justice in today’s world. With 14 albums to his name, Rod has toured globally and was named Distinguished Faculty Member at FAU. Don’t miss this captivating blend of music and history!

The Sound of Her Voice - Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris

Join Rod MacDonald for a captivating journey through the legacies of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, pioneers of country rock who reshaped American music with their unforgettable voices. Ronstadt’s powerful vocals earned her 13 million-selling albums, while Harris’s "crystalline" tone earned her 13 Grammys and the title "Godmother of Americana" from Rolling Stone. Both artists ventured beyond country rock, exploring operettas, jazz, Mexican folk songs, bluegrass, and progressive country. This biographical video presentation offers a deep dive into their careers and enduring influence. A celebrated folk artist with 21 songs in the Smithsonian Folkways collection, MacDonald has performed since the 1970s and served as Music Americana lecturer at Osher/FAU Lifelong Learning since 2006.

Rod MacDonald is a Greenwich Village-trained singer/songwriter with fourteen solo CDs—including 2023’s Rants And Romance—and 21 songs in the Smithsonian Folkways collection. He’s a celebrated performer and longtime OLLI instructor known for his music history series and honors from South Florida media.

"Rod was great! Extremely well prepared. Entertaining and informative." - OLLI Patron

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after the live lecture.



BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Rod MacDonald, guitar/vocal, Rod MacDonald began his career as a singer/songwriter in Greenwich Village in New York City in 1973. He has 21 songs in the Smithsonian Folkways collection and 14 solo albums, including his 2023 cd Rants And Romance, which made the top ten on national folk music charts. He performs in festivals, concerts, and clubs and throughout North America, Europe, solo and with the bands Big Brass Bed and Rod MacDonald & The Humdingers. He was named Best Local Acoustic Performer by New Times and one of the "10 Magnificent Musicians of Palm Beach County" by The Palm Beach Post. Previous Music Americana courses include "The Birth of Rock & Roll," "The Great American Songbook," "Folksinging in Modern Times" and "Mastery of the Art."
Bill Meredith, drums, is the backbone of several Palm Beach County rock and roll bands, including Big Brass Bed and Illumination. He’s toured throughout the US and Canada and appears on over a dozen CDs.
Brad Keller
, piano, has toured with Maynard Ferguson and The Ink Spots, played the Montreux Jazz festival, and written the jazz instruction book used by many county schools.
Doug Lindsey, bass, performs with the Mario LaCasse Band and several Palm Beach County groups.
Mario LaCasse, lead guitar, playing roots, blues, or jazz, has refined his sound as a member of Misbehavin, Flight, the Mario LaCasse Band, Lowdown 13, and the NattyBos, Groove Merchant band, and Copland Davis.



Jupiter Campus

Place: Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus, Donald Ross Rd
Dates: Thursday December 4
Time: 7 p.m.
Fee:

(561) 799 - 8547

Boca Raton Campus


Time: 7 pm
Date: Wednesday, December 4
Location: Barry and Florence Friedberg Auditorium, Boca Raton Campus
Fees:
Registration Info call 
561-297-3171
 



Lectures
lectures at community associations and libraries...recent topics have included live performance/lectes such as "Songs of Greenwich Village" (solo),  "The Life & Times of Bob Dylan," (solo or with Big Brass Bed), and "The Search for the Birth of Rock & Roll"
(solo or with The Humdingers)
.....Lectures using dvds and video materials include "The Beatles: Coming to America," "Cole Porter/Johnny Mercer," "Frank Sinatra" and many other topics. To see a list of lectures, click here.

Songwriting Workshops
"Songwriting For Self Expression" and "Songwriting & Current Events" are for beginning thru advanced songwriters, to inspire and sharpen each writer's skill and ability to express oneself. At the New York Open Center, the Amp Shop in West Palm Beach, Common Ground on the Hill, the Southeast Unitarian-Universalist Summer Institute, the Endicott (NY) Arts Center, S Florida Folk Festival, etc, from one session to several, sometimes one evening a week.

Here's an article in Binghamton, NY: