2019-20 Season in Review

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed. Join us for an insightful seminar exploring "Blackbird," one of the most poignant and enduring songs by The Beatles. Written by Paul McCartney and released in 1968 on the White Album, "Blackbird" has captivated listeners for decades with its delicate guitar work, poetic lyrics, and powerful message of resilience. We'll delve into the historical and social context in which the song was written—amid the Civil Rights Movement in the United States—and examine how its minimalist beauty carries a universal message of hope and empowerment. Through guided listening, lyrical analysis, and discussion of its lasting impact, this seminar offers a deeper appreciation for one of the most beloved and meaningful songs of the 20th century. Whether you're a lifelong Beatles fan or new to their work, this is a journey into music, meaning, and the power of a simple song to inspire change.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen!  This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen.  Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided! Take a deep dive into the life, art, and spiritual journey of one of music’s most enigmatic voices. Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song is a moving documentary that traces the evolution of Cohen’s iconic song—from its humble beginnings to its unlikely rise as a cultural anthem covered by hundreds of artists worldwide. Through rare archival footage, personal journals, and interviews with those who knew him and reinterpreted his work, the film offers a heartfelt exploration of creativity, faith, and the search for meaning. Following the screening, we’ll open the floor for a post-film discussion—reflecting on Cohen’s legacy, the power of perseverance in art, and why Hallelujah continues to resonate so deeply across generations.

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed. Few songs have touched the hearts of generations quite like "Over the Rainbow." First introduced by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939), this iconic ballad has become a timeless anthem of longing, hope, and the belief in a better tomorrow. In this seminar, we’ll explore the song’s origins, the creative genius of composer Harold Arlen and lyricist Yip Harburg, and how "Over the Rainbow" became a cultural touchstone during some of the most challenging times in American history. We'll discuss its role in film, its musical structure and emotional depth, and how it has been reimagined by countless artists—from Israel Kamakawiwoʻole to Patti LaBelle—while retaining its magical essence. Through listening, lyric exploration, and rich storytelling, we’ll uncover why this song continues to resonate across generations and why its simple yearning for "somewhere" speaks to all of us.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen! This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen. Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided! Set sail on a smooth-sailing journey through the soft rock sound that defined a generation. Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentarydives deep into the breezy, sun-soaked vibes of late ’70s and early ’80s artists like Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Toto, and Kenny Loggins—music made for top-down convertibles, seaside escapes, and mellow grooves. This documentary explores the genre's unexpected rise, its tongue-in-cheek revival, and the musical craftsmanship behind those catchy, impeccably produced hits. Whether you're a longtime fan or just discovering the magic of this smooth genre, you’ll leave humming and maybe craving a piña colada. Stick around after the film for a fun and lively discussion as we unpack what makes Yacht Rock so irresistibly smooth—and so endlessly cool.

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen!  This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen.  Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided!

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen!  This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen.  Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided!

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen!  This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen.  Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided!

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen!  This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen.  Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided!

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen!  This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen.  Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided!

Join us for a bi-weekly gathering of music lovers from June through September, held on Wednesday mornings and hosted by Josh Condon, AZMF’s Resident Artist. Each session blends music history, analysis, active listening, and engaging discussion, all designed to deepen your appreciation and enjoyment of great music. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or simply curious, come enjoy coffee, community, and some of the greatest music ever composed.

This summer, join us every other Wednesday from June through September for Musicfest at the Movies, where music takes center stage on the big screen!  This year’s series features an inspiring selection of music documentaries—spotlighting iconic artists, unforgettable performances, and the stories that shaped the soundtrack of our lives. After each film, stick around for a relaxed, engaging discussion where we’ll share insights, reactions, and reflections on what we’ve just seen.  Whether you're a lifelong music lover or simply curious, this is your chance to experience the magic of music and movies—together. Popcorn and soda provided!

Listen Up: Seminars on Music is a weekly gathering of music lovers every Wednesday morning, hosted by AZMF’s Resident Artist, Josh Condon.  Each session combines music history, analysis, active listening, and discussion, designed to enhance your listening experience and overall music appreciation.  Listen Up covers all genres, emphasizing our common humanity across all musical styles!  Coffee and refreshments provided. Relive the magic of the movies through the songs that made them unforgettable. This engaging seminar takes a nostalgic journey through Hollywood’s most cherished musical moments—from the golden age of musicals to heartfelt ballads and unforgettable show tunes. Featuring film clips and a celebration of the singers, composers, and musical styles that defined each era, we’ll honor the melodies that shaped generations and continue to stir the heart. Perfect for music lovers and movie buffs alike, this seminar is a joyful tribute to the golden melodies of the silver screen.  

Listen Up: Seminars on Music is a weekly gathering of music lovers every Wednesday morning, hosted by AZMF’s Resident Artist, Josh Condon.  Each session combines music history, analysis, active listening, and discussion, designed to enhance your listening experience and overall music appreciation.  Listen Up covers all genres, emphasizing our common humanity across all musical styles!  Coffee and refreshments provided. Here at Music Alive! we spend lots of time exploring the music of the past - and for good reason! But what about the present? Despite what the contemporary pop stations would have you believe, there is A LOT of exciting, musically interesting and creative work being made out there! Not just in America, but around the world. Join us for our first venture into BREAKING BOUNDARIES, a mini-series that's part of LISTEN UP! We'll explore new artists that you've most likely never heard of, but are sure to become a new favorite. These artists are pioneering new avenues for music creation in the 21st century, building upon the work of the past, and unleashing new creative energies for the future. As our musical world becomes more and more global through the internet, we'll explore how this dynamic has changed the music industry forever, and discuss what new musical genres are being birthed now in 2024!

Listen Up: Seminars on Music is a weekly gathering of music lovers every Wednesday morning, hosted by AZMF’s Resident Artist, Josh Condon.  Each session combines music history, analysis, active listening, and discussion, designed to enhance your listening experience and overall music appreciation.  Listen Up covers all genres, emphasizing our common humanity across all musical styles!  Coffee and refreshments provided. In celebration of Arizona Musicfest's first-ever musical in concert at the end of April, join us for an insightful seminar delving into Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical, Carousel. Premiering on Broadway in 1945, Carousel tells the poignant story of Billy Bigelow, a charismatic carousel barker, and his tumultuous romance with millworker Julie Jordan. Set against the backdrop of a New England coastal town, the musical explores themes of love, redemption, and the human spirit. Renowned for its rich musical score, including timeless songs like "If I Loved You" and "You'll Never Walk Alone", Carousel has been celebrated for its emotional depth and complex characters. Our seminar will examine the historical context of the production, its impact on American musical theatre, and the enduring legacy of its music and narrative. Whether you're a longtime admirer or new to this masterpiece, this event offers a comprehensive exploration of one of Broadway's most cherished works.

Join your fellow music lovers us as we begin to wind down our 2024-2025 season with food, games, and live music featuring Josh and Lexy Condon! Come and go as you please, and be prepared to make new friends! 2:00 pm – Food/drinks/social time 2:30 pm – Name That Tune! 3:15 pm – The Burt Bacharach songbook w/ Josh & Lexy Joining Josh & Lexy as they explore the Burt Bacharach songbook will be Valley favorites Chris Finey on bass and Buddy Banks on drums

Our Musical Theatre Matinee series features guest lectures from some of the Valley’s foremost experts in musical theatre, and include live performances by outstanding local singers and dancers! Join ASU Artistic Director of Music Theatre and Opera, Brian DeMaris, who will compare and contrast two composer/lyricists who transformed the music theatre of their respective eras. This presentation looks at both artists’ lives and works and with the impact they each had on opera and musical theatre of their respective generations and beyond. The presentation will include performances by ASU musical theatre and opera students Makayla Flocken, Tre Moore, Josh Pike, and Molly Virtue! This event is generously sponsored by Bob and Charlotte Otto. 

Listen Up: Seminars on Music is a weekly gathering of music lovers every Wednesday morning, hosted by AZMF’s Resident Artist, Josh Condon.  Each session combines music history, analysis, active listening, and discussion, designed to enhance your listening experience and overall music appreciation.  Listen Up covers all genres, emphasizing our common humanity across all musical styles!  Coffee and refreshments provided. There is simply no piece of music quite like Charles Ives's Symphony No. 4. While we often discuss "groundbreaking" music, this piece attempts to redefine what that "ground" even is, existing on the very fringes of what music can even be. On top of that, this mind-blowingly creative work continues to stun, fascinate, and inspire listeners over 100 years after it has been written! The "program" of the symphony has been described by Ives as such: The aesthetic program of the work is that of many of the greatest literary and musical masterpieces of the world—the searching questions of What? and Why? which the spirit of man asks of life. This is particularly the sense of the prelude. The ... succeeding movements are the diverse answers in which existence replies. Join us for an enlightening seminar on this work that encapsulates the composer's innovative spirit and philosophical depth. Composed between 1910 and the mid-1920s (though never performed in Ives' lifetime due to the fact musicians at the time deemed it "unperformable") this symphony is renowned for its complexity, requiring an extensive orchestra and often two conductors to navigate its intricate layers. Through a blend of hymns, folk tunes, and original themes, Ives explores profound existential questions, crafting a musical journey that challenges and inspires. Our seminar will delve into the symphony's structure, its historical context, and its lasting impact on American music. Whether you're a seasoned musician or a curious listener, this event offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of one of the 20th century's ...

This four-week series will delve into the music of America and how it shaped and was part of shaping the country’s identity as it matured from its infancy to today. We’ll first look at what America inherited musically from the European roots of its Colonists and how the people and the land they encountered, once they arrived, altered or added to their musical language. How did their various approaches to religious life inform the music used in their rituals and ceremonies? One huge aspect that contributed to American music was its deep roots in specific regions of the country, and we’ll examine those contributions. We’ll ask, “Is there an American sound, and if so, what might that be?” Audio, video, and visual art examples will help illustrate this journey, exploring the creation of popular music, jazz, country, American concert music, music for the theatre, rock and roll, and the contemporary sounds of today.