Splash Biography

From "Family Guy" to Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons, classical music can be heard everyday throughout many different media. Commercials, movies, musicals and television shows name only some of these media. This class will overview some of the greatest composers and most popular compositions of classical music (and where you've heard them), focus on the music's relevancy today and discuss social values about why it's not part of "mainstream" culture. Composers discussed include Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Chopin, among others.

Music is perhaps the most diverse universal language ever created. Ranging from genres Classical, Rock, Jazz, and Blues, music is always finding new modes of expression. Ironically however, the majority of Western popular songs tend to follow a general musical pattern that is in a way the foundation of all Western music. This class will focus on how simple techniques in music theory have shaped the majority of the music we know and love today. In addition, participants will engage in a discussion of some philosophical questions in music, such as "Is the music today always copying someone from the past?" and "What is it about music that makes it so enjoyable?" The class will draw upon a diverse group of examples from Pop, Classical, and Rock genres to name just a few. By the end of the class, participants will leave with a stronger appreciation of music and the knowledge of how to effectively write their own simple songs. (No experience of any kind required)