Needham Community Education

Louis Armstrong changed the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic shape of American music. Yet he had a simple goal: to please his people and give them a song. In the cornetist Joe “King” Oliver, he found a mentor and hero. “No one had the fire and the endurance Joe had," Louis recalled. “Almost everything important in music today came from him.” Oliver heavily influenced Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and other legendary musicians. Yet he died broke and alone in a Savannah backroom. In this program, we will discover where Armstrong got his own fire and why his brilliant sound soared above the rest.

Join Dan Dain, author of the book A History of Boston, as he leads you through a history of restaurant dining in Boston from the colonial period to the present. The team of Bianca Woodfire Kitchen & Bar at The Street in Chestnut Hill sets the stage for the history lesson with a three-course menu taking its inspiration from the bounty of New England farms and Boston's restaurant heritage. Bianca is the newest venture in the small restaurant group helmed by James Beard Foundation award-winner Chef Tim Cushman, who, with his wife Nancy, owns and operates o ya, a decorated omakase restaurant in Boston's downtown Leather District, and Hojoko Japanese Tavern in Fenway. While enjoying a menu inspired by Boston's dining past, you'll hear Dan discuss the importance of vibrant restaurant scenes and the unique activity that "eating out" brings to the vitality of cities, and what lessons we can learn from the past as we create the urban settings of the future. Note: Cocktails, wine and beer can be purchased directly from the restaurant. Please indicate dietary restrictions when registering. Note: Cocktails, wine and beer can be purchased directly from the restaurant. Please indicate dietary restrictions when registering.

Many people love classical music but are not sure exactly why. Explore a deeper experience in HOW to listen to what makes Bach different from Mozart different from Beethoven, etc.; and what elements connect them. Every great composer wants to thrill the listener. This class will look at elements of melody, rhythm, tone, and instrumentation with some of classical music's most well known pieces. No musical training is required and of course, there will be a lot of listening!