Introducing... The Great American Songbook Lecture Series at Kerrytown Concert House

The Great American Songbook: What Makes it Great?

Irving Berlin Edition

 Brent Wagner, lecturer & Tyler Driskill, pianist and contributor

Kerrytown Concert House is honored to introduce an exciting new lecture series, The Great American Songbook: What Makes it Great? featuring the incomparable Brent Wagner (University of Michigan Emeritus Professor of Musical Theatre) with pianist/vocalist Tyler Driskill (U-M Asst. Prof of Musical Theatre).

About the series…

Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter — these marvelous writers created so many lasting standards in the early 20th century that their contribution to that era has been termed ‘The Great American Songbook.’ These songs have been recorded hundreds of times by pop singers, jazz artists, dance bands, and even opera singers, and new generations of performers are constantly discovering and rediscovering the depth and artistry of these mini-masterpieces.

But why have these songs lasted so long? What exactly makes them ‘great’? Professor Wagner will explore the repertoire, detailing and demonstrating some of the characteristics that make these songs part of an enduring and rewarding legacy.

This inaugural presentation – the first of four lectures – centers around Irving Berlin, described by George Gershwin as “…the greatest songwriter who has ever lived.” Together, Wagner and Driskill will give a lecture/demonstration about Berlin’s contributions to the ‘Great American Songbook’ with an emphasis on the impact of the combination of music and lyrics to make a powerful new work.