Immigration and the Arts/The Music of the 1920's

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

6:00PM

The Hope Club

Six Benevolent Street, Providence

This is Our last Dinner/Speaker Event for the 2022-23 Program Year, and so we are keeping it light–and fun! Please join us as we close out the year.

Immigration and the Arts

The Music of the 1920's

with

Music Historians

Lloyd Kaplan and Tom Shaker

The 1920s were a decade of extreme change. The advancement of women’s rights, literature and the movies all helped to make America a different place. More than anything, immigration changed America and influenced the arts. Modern popular songs started with the emergence of Tin Pan Alley in the 1920s. Without immigrants, American popular music would not be what it is today. Many of our early lyricists and composers such as Irving Berlin and Gus Khan were immigrants, and their artistry changed the public’s idea of what music could be. Join us as we take an entertaining look back; listening, watching and discussing the great lyricists, composers, musicians and singers of the “jazz age.”

Lloyd Kaplan holds a B.S. in music education from URI and a master’s in music from Brown University. His latest honor was his induction into the RI Music Hall of Fame in April 2018, the first music educator to be so honored. He taught for 30years at CCRI and is a member of its Hall of Fame. For decades he led one of RI’s favorite jazz bands the Aristocats. He co-authored the first book written about Rhode Island Jazz, Who’s Who In Rhode Island Jazz c. 1922-1988. With Tom Shaker, he co- authored In Harmony: Early Vocal Groups Remembered & Celebrated (Consortium, 2020).

Tom Shaker has spent over 30 years as a college professor, teaching courses in video and film production, media, and music history, In addition to his book with Lloyd, he is the co-author of A Treasury of Rhode Island Jazz & Swing Musicians (2016). Tom also co-produced the award-winning documentary film Do It Man! The Story of the Celebrity Club (2018). He is a contributor to RhodyRadio, producing podcasts covering jazz, vocal groups, and Rhode Island Diner history. For almost 20 years Tom has been the host of “The Soul Serenade,” a classic soul and funk show on NPR affiliate station WICN in Worcester, MA.

Per Person

Members and their Guests $55.00

Non-Members $65.00