Course

This course asks, “Can we deepen our appreciation of music by exploring its relationship to culture?” We will explore topics such as music vs. sound vs. noise; what counts for authenticity in music; cover versions and musical interpretation; how popular music transitioned from entertainment to art; and music appropriation, copyright, and the responsible use of music.

Faculty Bio

Steven Savage is the Executive Director of Blue Bear School of Music and holds a Ph.D. in musicology. An active record producer and recording engineer, he has worked on seven Grammy-nominated recordings. Steve taught musicology at San Francisco State University for more than a decade.

This is an In-Person Course

• Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 365 (3rd floor), at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• Classes will not be livestreamed nor recorded
• Limited to 40 members
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Wednesday, April 1, and ends on Wednesday, May 6
• Classes meet for 6 weeks, 2 hours per session (10–noon)
• All course materials will be available in Member Dashboards through May 31

Faculty Q&A

• Read a recent interview with Steve Savage about his course.