Wednesday, June 18, 2025
10:00 am - 11:30 am
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.
Getting Here
Music Alive! Studio
7950 E. Thompson Peak Parkway
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
7950 East Thompson Peak Parkway
7950 East Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Instructor
Josh Condon
As a pianist equally adept in the genres of jazz, pop, and classical, Josh Condon has served as music director/supervisor for over 40 musical theatre productions, in addition to leading concerts with symphony orchestras, choirs, jazz ensembles, and pop/rock bands. He has traveled the world as a music director and pianist for the Norwegian, Celebrity, and Princess Cruise Lines where he worked with numerous Broadway and West End performers.
Currently, Josh serves as Resident Artist and Director of Community Music Programs for Arizona Musicfest in Scottsdale, an organization which features concert performances of the music industry’s top talent. In addition to serving as Assistant Conductor for the Musicfest Festival Orchestra, he lectures on topics surveying a huge breadth of music history and analysis, including popular song, symphonic repertoire, jazz performance practice, musical theatre, and everything in between.
He also serves as Assistant Conductor for the North Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared as Guest Conductor with the Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra, the Scottsdale Philharmonic, and the Arizona Musical Theatre Orchestra. Josh is passionate about using flexibility, positivity, and encouragement to create spaces where all can learn and perform to their best ability. He holds a BM in Jazz Studies from Ithaca College and an MM in Musical Theatre/Opera Music Direction from Arizona State University, and resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife Lexy, their son Arlo, and their cat Sadie.