Contemporary culture caricatures jazz as music for old people, intellectuals, and elevators. The film La La Land all but claimed it was dead. This course will analyze the implications of this question, drawing on different ways of looking at jazz, through historical and theoretical lenses. It will explicate the relationship between popular music and jazz, covering jazz’s roots, popular acceptance, decline, institutional preservation, and current state. All are welcome, regardless of musical background or lack thereof.

From rock to jazz to classical, every song we hear is shaped by its harmonic structure (i.e. the chords!). Chords play a huge role in how music manages to evoke certain feelings and moods in us. In this class, we will analyze different types of chords, examine common chord progressions, and look at how genres of music use chords differently. This class is perfect for students who may have had minimal musical experience and want to learn more. However, all are welcome: whether amateur or master!