George Gershwin (1898-1937) stands alongside Aaron Copland as one of the first great voices of American music in the 20th century. At the time of his death at the age of 38, he was destined to be the recipient of the first Pulitzer Prize for musical comedy (awarded posthumously), had written an opera, had composed for stage and screen, and had created symphonic works which defied description in their day and which continue to be popular today. Jane Ellen is the consummate storyteller with eclectic interests, specializing in music and entertainment history. She is an award-winning composer and recording artist who shares her passion for music, history, and spirituality with Albuquerque audiences. With a catalogue of more than 60 published works and numerous choral and chamber commissions, her music has been performed internationally.

Pete Seeger (1919-2014) is commonly considered a national treasure, and rightfully so. More than just a beloved folksinger, he worked tirelessly for the labor movement, civil rights, peace, and the environment. He is the only folksinger to have not only received the Kennedy Center Honors award (1994) but he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1996). Pete Seeger was named one of America's Living Legends by the Library of Congress in 2000. Jane Ellen is the consummate storyteller with eclectic interests, specializing in music and entertainment history. She is an award-winning composer and recording artist who shares her passion for music, history, and spirituality with Albuquerque audiences. With a catalogue of more than 60 published works and numerous choral and chamber commissions, her music has been performed internationally.

To understand the evolving role of the piano in jazz, one has to look at the actual evolution of jazz itself. This beginner-friendly class introduces piano styles across the years of American jazz development with live demonstrations, recordings, and a brief look at the artists who excelled in each area. Jazz pianist and historian Scott Hooker joins Jane Ellen in this exploration of ragtime, boogie woogie, stride, swing, bebop, and more. See Jane Ellen’s bio #63. Scott Hooker is a pianist who performed in Atlanta for many years before relocating to Albuquerque in 2014. He grew up in North Carolina and Georgia; he began formal music lessons in Charlotte, NC, and has made a study of all things jazz since his high school days. “While my contemporaries were listening to Jimi Hendrix,” he says, “my ears were on Fats Waller and the other historic musicians and personalities of early jazz.”

Across a span of 14 years, the brother-sister duo Richard (1946- ) and Karen Carpenter (1950–83) dominated the air waves with their piano-driven, easy listening stylings. Their music has since undergone critical re-assessments, resulting in repeated calls for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Several of their songs are now recognized as standards, and Karen's signature contralto vocals no doubt helped inspire other female artists with lower vocal ranges to enter the industry. Jane Ellen is the consummate storyteller with eclectic interests, specializing in music and entertainment history. She is an award-winning composer and recording artist who shares her passion for music, history, and spirituality with Albuquerque audiences. With a catalogue of more than 60 published works and numerous choral and chamber commissions, her music has been performed internationally.

This presentation/performance focuses on the history and performance of palos (types of flamenco songs) such as tangos, soleares, sevillanas, fandangos, and farruca. Various guitar techniques are demonstrated: rasgueado, golpe, picado, ligado, and alzapúa. We also explore the meaning and use of cajón, cejilla, compás, falseta, and palmas. You will have the opportunity to perform palmas (clapping). In the 1960s and 70s, Tanner-Aldrete performed with rock-and-roll bands. After a 30-year career in psychology, he returned to study classical guitar at UNM and flamenco at the National Conservatory of Flamenco. He honed his skills while living in Granada, Spain, where he studied with recording artists from Andalucia.

Join us virtually (or in-person as allowed) to celebrate Jane Ellen and her tenue at Oasis. Stay tuned for details to be provided closer to our celebration date!

Our outer environment often mirrors our inner environment. Look around. What do you see? Is your office or home cluttered? How clean and organized is your car? Closet? What about your mind? Are thoughts and ideas flowing with ease or are thoughts muddled and/or tangled? Does the body feel stiff and sluggish? If you often find yourself staring at a blank screen, a blank page, or a blank canvas, then this class may benefit you. Explore spring cleaning -- literally and metaphorically. Julie Dunlop, author of Ocean of Yoga: Meditations on Yoga and Ayurveda for Balance, Awareness, and Well-Being, has been an adjunct faculty member in the English Department at CNM for 17 years. She is a certified yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance and a certified Ayurvedic practitioner through the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. Weaving together language, poetry, yoga, and Ayurveda, she enjoys sharing pathways to well-being, supporting the overall health of our community.

Television news has undergone remarkable transformations in the last seven decades. This presentation will look at these sweeping changes and examine the impact--both good and bad--of television journalism over the last six decades. Brian Rose is a professor emeritus at Fordham University, where he taught for 38 years in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. He’s written several books on television history and cultural programming, and conducted more than a hundred Q&A’s with leading directors, actors, and writers for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Directors Guild of America.