The view from abroad is revealing, refreshing, and occasionally jarring. View six films — most of which have never been screened in the United States — and discuss their aims, strategies, choices, and ethics. Examine perennial issues of nonfiction filmmaking, such as point of view, journalism versus activism, truth versus representation, the imperatives and conventions of narrative (i.e., storytelling), and aesthetic choices.

Cover major aspects of Bach’s instrumental and vocal music. Discuss the principles of historically informed performance practice in relation to modern and period instrument performances. Discover his musical influences as we work our way through the cantatas and Passions, instrumental music, and final masterpieces — B Minor Mass, Goldberg Variations, and the Art of the Fugue.

Take a chronological and geographic road trip across several American regions where key musical movements sprung up between 1955 and 1970. We’ll also explore Bob Dylan’s 1965 masterworks. Presented as a cultural and musical journey, this course will weave together lectures, photographs, recorded music, film clips, Q&A sessions, and live music.

There is transformative potential inherent in grieving. We will explore myths and models of grief, obstacles to it, and how personal strengths can support it. Cultivate skills to support others who are grieving by increasing your self-awareness and self-care.

From the Sierra Nevada to the Himalayas, mountains have an extraordinary power to evoke wonder, awe, and a sense of the sacred. Drawing on his own research and work with national parks and World Heritage sites, the instructor will take us on a journey to explore the importance and symbolism of mountains in different mythologies, religions, history, literature, and art. We will focus on the key role that mountains play in inspiring environmental conservation and spiritual growth.

Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the world’s center of cultural gravity shifted from societies east of the Mediterranean Sea — the Islamic World, India, China, and the Silk Road civilizations of Central Asia — to Europe, which began its ascent until “Western Civilization” dominated a globalized Earth. The voyages of Christopher Columbus mark the turning point. We will look at the world before and after his voyages and explore how cultural power shifted then — and why it may now be shifting back.

From “Sir Patrick Spens” to “Tangled Up in Blue,” ballads tell stories of sunken ships, ghostly lovers, highwaymen, and murderers. Some ballads are set to music, while others, such as “Casey at the Bat,” are part of literature. Trace the Anglo-Celtic ballad tradition with its roots in medieval Britain. Explore its evolution in America as ballads moved west with cowboys and settlers and south to become part of African-American folk culture. End with modern balladeers such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Discover how to turn your snapshots into extraordinary photographs using your iPhone. Learn how to expertly capture images, edit and create photographs with your iPhone, gain inspiration to find your creative vision, and expand your technical knowledge. By the end of this workshop, you will understand the ins and outs of iPhone photography.

Russian culture at the turn of the 20th century was a dynamic period of experimentation and discoveries in the visual, literary, and performing arts. Explore such brilliant artistic talents as the poetry of Blok, Akhmatova, and Mayakovsky; the music of Stravinsky and Scriabin; Diaghilev’s “Ballets Russes;” and the paintings of Bakst, Roerich, and Malevich. We will also discuss how the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 impacted the arts and the lives of writers, musicians, and artists.

Focusing on Nashville, California, and Texas, this course will take us on a regional, chronological, and musical journey through the eras and places that have made country music a huge part of 20th-century American culture. The final class will feature an overview of the country song and an in-depth musical analysis of why country music is so emotional.

Though sometimes considered an anomaly in jazz, violinists have been central to creating some of its most exciting, innovative music. Discover the reasons for this disconnect, the influential jazz violinists of the past century, and how their music reflects the social, racial, technological, and musical influences of their times. Trace the violin’s influence from the eras of African prehistory, slavery, and “pre-jazz,” to the birth of the blues, swing, be-bop, and beyond. Enjoy vintage recordings and live demonstrations.

Whether they are belting out rock tunes or painting portraits, Chinese artists are bold and innovative. Explore the development and significance of China’s arts and culture scene from 1989 through the Internet era. We will also examine the relationship between popular culture and censorship and the impact of creative thinkers and artists on China’s cultural consciousness.

Prepare your body, brain, and voice to sing with ease, expressiveness, and projection. Learn four traditional rounds and five part-songs by ear, plus choral skills such as legato, staccato, fermata, ritard, timbre, and head and chest voice. More experienced participants may sing in trios or anchor their sections. We will perform for invited guests during the last class. Open to all levels.

Reexamine common perspectives about an unruly year that remains politically and socially radioactive. We will aim to understand what Greil Marcus once called the “moods of rage, excitement, loneliness, fatalism, desire” that buffeted Berkeley and the world in 1968. A half-century later, we still don’t understand its legacy and need a more subtle comprehension of what a historical moment contains, as well as its unacknowledged victories and hidden defeats. 

Cover the most salient issues in global warming, including: the history of its research; why the subject exploded in the 1980s; the relationship between the global carbon cycle and the burning of fossil fuels; the campaign against climate science; technological methods for stopping global warming; and changes to greenhouse gases over time. We will finish with speculations about the future of climate and of life on Earth. 

What is the liberal order, and what are its alternatives? Discuss the history of liberalism, its weaknesses, and the arguments made about its end. We will examine the role of economic inequality, globalization, the retreat of Western liberalism, and the post-truth environment in weakening it further. We will also explore the remedies to save it. 

Compare ancient Israel’s great classic of Genesis to other ancient creation myths. Examine the notion of divine promise in ancestral narratives. Address rituals such as covenant making, circumcision, and animal and human sacrifice. We will also examine the scribal schools that produced the text.

Nonfiction films are more essential than ever, but the subject matter typically overshadows the process for making them. In fact, the filmmaker’s narrative, thematic, and aesthetic choices are as important as the material itself. Each session will feature a recent or in-progress film followed by a candid discussion with the director. We’ll focus on the practical and ethical challenges of making documentaries, from conception through production and post-production to distribution.

Like Season One of the popular NPR podcast “Serial,” this course will focus on one murder case. Review original police reports, watch surveillance videos, and hear how a defense investigator examined the physical evidence, found witnesses, and prepared a social history of the defendant’s life. 

Meditation and volunteering are good for your heart, brain, and whole being. Combined, they foster positive neuroplasticity. Study the science of neuroplasticity, and meditate to expand your mind and heart. You will also volunteer for one to two hours extra each week at English-in-Action, International House, or Refugee Transitions. This experiential learning will deepen our knowledge of other cultures and help international students, refugees, and immigrants in the often-challenging transition to American life. 

Russia continues to dominate the news cycle — but how much do you actually know about it? Gain an inside view of Russian history, politics, and culture. What is behind its current slide into autocracy? Which national myths, beliefs, and historic developments feed Putin’s anti-democratic ideology? This course will intertwine the country’s latest political and cultural developments with historical perspectives expressed in film, music, and literature. 

Human rights are often associated with justice, but many people would argue that justice has been scant at best. This course will suggest a different perspective, showing examples where human rights have been most effective and where they are under attack. The biggest obstacle to effectively implementing human rights is the political opportunism that persistently rears its head all over the globe. Explore how that happens, and what can be done about it. 

Explore several momentous U.S. Supreme Court decisions, from Marbury v. Madison and Dred Scott through Roe v. Wade, Bush v. Gore, and Citizens United. We will also focus on some remarkable justices, including John Marshall and Earl Warren, and highlight the challenge of applying the constitution’s general words to very specific, controversial issues. We will also emphasize how the court has reacted to rapidly changing social and political realities as the country has grown. 

We all face big questions every day, from the metaphysical — “What is the purpose of life?” — to the mundane, such as, “Should I give a dollar to that homeless person?” Philosophers have been thinking about these types of questions for thousands of years. We will apply the ideas of philosophers from the ancient past to the lives we lead and questions we ponder today.

http://senior-surf.orgCreate beautiful books that tell your stories and memories with printed images, photographs, and text. Learn scanning, editing, enhancing, and touching up, with the ultimate goal of adding your content to a customized online photo book. You may create your books as gifts, personal memoirs, travel journals, or family heirlooms. Bring your own laptops to class. No iPads or tablets, please.