Learning Series Spring 2025 Classes

Friends of the Eldredge Public Library

The Learning Series is sponsored by the Friends of the Eldredge Public Library and offers 11 courses ranging from one to four sessions.

Eldredge Public Library

The Learning Series is sponsored by the Friends of the Eldredge Public Library. Donations help support programs at the Library.View 11 courses described below. Then click on Get Tickets to the right to order tickets for each course you wish to attend. Donation is $10 per course. There is an additional handling fee for processing credit cards added by Eventbrite. To avoid such fees you can register directly at the library paying with cash or check.Classes will be held at the Eldredge Public LibraryNo refunds will be issued unless the course is cancelled. In such instances you can ask for credit for future programs or make a donation to the Friends.Contact learningseries@eldredgelibrary.org with questions._____________________________________________________________________________________________

Mozart, His Life, Works and Mysterious DeathTWO SESSIONS: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays February 24 and March 3The original child prodigy, Mozart’s talent was almost supernatural. Using videos and musical demonstrations, Scharr will lead us to discover how we can measure Mozart’s abilities and intellect all these years later. To conclude this two-part course, we will examine, a la a forensic scientist, Mozart's death while writing the Requiem. Coincidence?George Scharr is the Arts Chair and Music Director at Falmouth Academy and former Education Director of the Cape (Cod) Symphony. A trombonist, educator and band leader, Scharr has led many jazz bands over the years, including the Symphony Swing Band and worked with many notables.Archtypes and the Hero's JourneyTHREE SESSIONS: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mondays March 10, 17, 24Like numbers to mathematics and science and like letters to language, storytelling has its own fundamental building blocks. The Hero. The Wise Old Man. The Fool. The Everyman. The Innocent. These and so many more exist in every story, from its simplest to its most complex. And even more than that, they exist with us, too. In his first session, Mike McCartney will explore the basics of these recurring figures and in the second session we'll look at The Hero's Journey, perhaps the oldest and most frequently repeated pattern in all of storytelling. He'll spend a little bit of time looking at a few familiar fairy tales and folktales as examples, but we'll also be applying our lessons to your favorite stories, too! Mike McCartney<a href="" title="" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">, </a>who led the Chaucer program last spring ,will lead this quest. He is the Circulation Supervisor at the Eldredge Public Library. He earned his undergraduate degree at Moravian University in Pennsylvania and his MA from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English. He also spent considerable time studying at Oxford, particularly at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. He was Chair of English and Fine Arts at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics and was recognized as both a County Teacher of the Year and a Maine State Teacher of the Year Semifinalist.Intrroduction to Photography with IPhone Photography TipsTHREE SESSIONS: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Thursdays March 13, 20, 27This course will cover fundamental photography concepts--including how to apply them using an iPhone camera. The goal is to equip beginners to intermediate photographers with a solid understanding of photography basics and practical tips for capturing great images with their iPhone as well as other cameras. At the end of the course, participants will: 1. Understand the core photography concepts (exposure, composition, lighting). 2. Learn how to use their cameras effectively to take better photos. 3. Gain hands-on experience in applying photography techniques to real-life settings.Mark<a href="" title="" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"> </a>Mara grew up in Oradea, Romania, and lives in Harwich with his wife. As soon as he finished his studies, he had the opportunity to follow his passion for photography. At first, he worked with other photographers, but he soon realized he preferred working for himself. So, he started his own business and called it Mark Mara Photo. He also does shoots for the Chronicle.Beyond Ireland: How the Irish Sparked the Rebirth of Learning in Western EuropeTWO SESSIONS 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Tuesdays March 18 and 25Based on his recent trips to France and Switzerland, Bob Noonan offers a sequel to his course on the role of Irish monks in restoring learning to Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. He will pick up the story at St Gallen, Switzerland where in the seventh century St Gallus established a monastery that would become one of the great libraries of Europe and which is today a UNESCO World Heritage site. After reviewing the story of the early role of Irish monks in Ireland and Scotland, he will then explore the contribution of the wandering monks in creating the Carolingian Renaissance under Charlemagne in the 8th and ninth centuries. He will then examine how the Irish and other entities helped create a Renaissance in the 12th century that led to the establishment of the first universities.Bob Noonan has a B.A. in history from Iona College, an MAT from Fairleigh Dickinson University and Ed D from Rutgers University. He spent his career as a teacher, school superintendent and educational professor. He is currently the chair of the Friends of the Eldredge Public Library Learning Series.Music Composed to Comemorate Historical EventsFOUR SESSIONS: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays April 7, 14, 28 and May 5Throughout the ages, music has been used to mark important historical events and milestones. Music has been written to celebrate and lament wars and battles, truces and peace treaties, graduations and the dedication of Coventry Cathedral to name a few. In this 4-week course Joe Marchio will explore some great musical works written to commemorate important world events. He will explore music by Britten, Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and more. He will also look at a recent Pulitzer Prize winning opera by composer, Kevin Puts, that tells the story of the temporary December 14 truce between German and English soldiers on the WWI battlefield.Joe Marchio currently serves as music director of the Chatham Chorale, Assistant Director of the Cape Cod Symphony and pastor and music director of First Congregational Church in Chatham. He has two bachelor’s degrees from the College of Wooster in organ performance and religious studies. He earned a Master of Divinity degree at the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music and a Master of Music degree in choral conducting at the Boston Conservatory. The Armory Show of 1913: Modern Art Comes to AmericaONE SESSION 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Tuesday April 8New York’s great international show of modernism at the 26th Street Armory in 1913 was the exhibition that dazzled American provincialism with European sophistication and the event that delivered European culture, kicking and screaming to the world stage. It introduced the American public to European avant -garde painting and sculpture; the tour that brought the latest paintings of Duchamp, Picasso and Matisse- along with 1,200 other works by 300 artists to New York, Chicago, and Boston exhibiting the works side by side with the best works of American artists. The established values in the art world itself were thoroughly shaken after the Armory show.Beth Stein has been educating adult audiences on the lives and works of famous artists for the past fifteen years on Cape Cod and in New Jersey. She received her BS in education from Indiana University, MA in history from Seton Hall University and MA in administration from Montclair State University. Country and Western MusicTHREE SESSIONS: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays April 8, 15, 22John Whelan and Peter Gaines will continue their focus on "the Great American Songbook." However, this time, there is a slight departure as their focus will be Country &amp; Western Music from the late 1940s through the 1970s. Composers/singers such as Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and many others will be featured. In putting this series together, John commented, "There is so much material here, we could do 10 weeks." When looking at the music of the above-mentioned artists, much of their music has been recorded by singers such as Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Linda Ronstadt, Ray Charles and many others who are associated with the standards from that era.John Whelan is a retired stockbroker, writes a monthly column for the Cape Cod Chronicle, and is the author of several books, including I am of Cape Cod. Peter Gaines has been entertaining Library fans at the piano for the last three years. Birds of SpringTwo Sessions: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday May 19 and Tuesday May 20Sixty percent of birds seen on Cape Cod are migrants. In this class, Phil Kyle will describe the many categories of migrants, what are their special physiological adaptations, what are examples of spring migrant species and why don’t they just stay in the tropics .It will include the best locations to find birds on the Cape, ways to attract them (food, water and nesting); and how best to use Merlin, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology bird sound app.Naturalist Phil Kyle has dedicated his life to the study and public education of the natural world, especially birds. He is a past president of the Cape Cod Bird Club and wrote a weekly column about birds for the Cape Cod Times. He went on to work at a number of organizations focusing on natural history; Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster (Head Naturalist) and the Cape Cod National Seashore (Interpretive Park Ranger).Aging Gracefully and WellTWO SESSIONS: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Wednesdays May 21 and May 28In the first session on May 21 Ruth Anderson-Zabre will discuss the importance of finding purpose in life, finding joy and pleasure, taking care of one’s body through nutrition and exercise, building community through relationships with friends and family, and preparing for one’s death through making wishes known and taking care of legal documents. She will also discuss the importance of having some kind of spirituality in one’s life. Ruth Anderson-Zabre is a retired Clinical Social Worker who worked in a variety of facilities including community mental health clinics in Michigan and Massachusetts, a research unit at a psychiatric hospital at the University of Michigan that specialized in Depression and Manic-Depression, an agency that served survivors of domestic violence and finally, a solo private practice in Amherst and Greenfield, Massachusetts.In the second session on May 28, Anna Milan will do a program on active living for health and well-being. Most people know that an active lifestyle and supportive relationships foster one’s health and well-being. But are they taking advantages close to home to do just that? What activities and programs are available? Invest in yourself by learning about these options for you and/or someone close to you.Anna Milan is Programs and Communication Coordinator for the Chatham Office on Aging. She has a degree in psychology from Lasell College. Her work ensures that resources and activities are accessible and engaging for local seniors.Shakespere Festival to Feature Othello and Taming of the ShowONE SESSION: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 2 The Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival in Chatham is heading into its fourth season in Kate Gould Park this summer. For two weeks at the end of July the Festival with feature the Bard's rollicking comedy in the commedia dell'arte style about the battle between the sexes, The Taming of the Shrew, and his gripping story of epic villainy and jealousy, Othello. The company will include many of the Festival's favorite actors from past seasons, along with exciting new talent. Alan Rust, Terry Layman, Bernard Cornwell and Ellen Fiske will share scenes from both plays as they go behind the scenes of this beloved Chatham tradition.Alan Rust is a professional actor and theatre educator. He was artistic director of the Monomoy Theatre in Chatham for 39 years, directing and acting in many of the 300 productions under his leadership.Terry Layman has acted On Broadway, Off -Broadway, and at theatres from Florida to Alaska. He acted and directed at the Monomoy Theatre in Chatham for 20 summers.Bernard Cornwell appeared on the Monomoy Theatre stage in Chatham for over a decade. Born in London, he had a career in British television before Judy lured him to the States where, to keep the wolf from the door, he began writing and is now the author of over fifty novels.Ellen Fiske's career spanned five decades, beginning on radio, on to Broadway and playing a swath of roles at noted theaters throughout the US and Europe, including 25 years as a guest artist at Monomoy Theatre in Chatham.

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