Courses and Workshops

The confluence of people, politics, philosophy and social awareness that came out of the post-war era ushered in a new age of enlightenment. This course will examine the soundtrack of that period and how folk music became integrated into the larger world of popular music. Get ready to dive into the works of Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez , Phil Ochs, Peter Paul and Mary, Fred Neil, Tim Hardin, John Stewart, Steve Goodman, John Prine, Ian and Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and other greats.

Faculty Bio

Pete Elman is a musician, an author, a journalist, a historian — and a star educator. He has performed, recorded and produced popular music since 1962, authored four books, been a sportswriter, taught K-12, and, since 2015, wowed OLLI members with more than a dozen courses on American music.

This is an In-Person, Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes will be held in person at Freight & Salvage at 2020 Addison St., Berkeley
• Classes will also stream live simultaneously, and be video recorded
• Please note: Due to copyright restrictions, some songs and video clips may be edited out of the final recording
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Wednesday, Jan. 17 and ends on Wednesday, Feb. 21
• Classes meet for six weeks, two hours per session (10-noon)
• Videos will post on Fridays in Member Dashboards
• All course materials, including videos, will be available to view and enjoy through March 31

Member Praise for Pete Elman

Another wonderful class from Pete! Once again, he added to my appreciation and understanding of the music and contributions from artists I already have enjoyed and admired for so long.

I gained so much appreciation for the musicians and their music than I expected to. Very, very enjoyable. I'll take any course Pete Elman offers.

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Pete Elman from our archive.