“The Lost Art of Instrumental Music” focuses on a time in popular music history when creativity in composing music without vocals not only flourished but was commercially viable. Today, you rarely hear memorable melodies that do not feature lyrics. Television shows don’t have theme songs and film scoring has hit a new low in memorable melodies. The apex of instrumental music was the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, when all of these elements came together in a variety of different forms.

Week 1: Musical Miniatures

Week 2: Mood Music and Sonic Explosions

Week 3: Television Theme Songs

Week 4: Movie Theme Songs

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Bio:

Cary Ginell is a Grammy-nominated writer and author of 12 books on American music. After a 30-year career in radio, he has spent the last 20 years as a public speaker, talking about music in classrooms, at conferences, and on cruise ships. Cary brings a lifelong passion for the recording industry to his work and is one of the world’s foremost authorities on his specialty, western swing. Cary previously served as President of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, an international organization of music scholars and world-renowned institutions.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.