Lectures & Presentations
Informative. Engaging. Entertaining.
Edward’s presentations, both online and in-person, bring to life the rich world of popular music, From jazz to movie musicals, rock to country, folk, R&B, hip hop and more, Edward explores the lives, careers and craft of some of the greatest singers, songwriters and songs in history. How did they do it? Why did they do it? How much money did they make? Why are they important? Using projected media along with a digital piano, Edward takes you behind-the-scenes to discover the stories of the productions, the elements of artistic style, the songwriting techniques, the royalties & estates and even the love-lives of the artists.
Presentations last from 50 to 90 minutes and always include some time for discussion and a Q&A at the end.
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TALKS ABOUT SINGERS
Billie Holiday, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Lady Gaga, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, The Ronettes, The Crystals, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin
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TALKS ABOUT SONGWRITERS
Rodgers & Hart, Dolly Parton, Lin Manuel Miranda, Cole Porter, The Gershwins, Phil Spector, Quincy Jones, Bacharach & David, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill, Leiber & Stoller
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TALKS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL SONGS
Be My Baby, My Funny Valentine, Puttin' on the Ritz, Blowin' in the Wind, Tracks of My Tears, I Say a Little Prayer, Good Vibrations, Strawberry Fields Forever, I Will Always Love You, I've Got Rhythm
SAMPLE VIDEOS
EDWARD BARNES is an award-winning composer-lyricist and/or producer of more than 50 works of opera, theater, radio shows, and recordings. His work has been seen around the world from Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to the Opera Company of the Philippines and San Francisco Mime Troupe. He has been a resident artist at the Instituto Sacatar (Brazil), Ucross Foundation (Wyoming), and Fundación Valparaíso (Spain), and served as the Executive Director of Gotham Chamber Opera, Producing Director of MasterVoices, and Managing Director of American Lyric Theater. A Guggenheim and NEA Fellow, he is the winner of the Stephen Sondheim Award for “the creation of innovative musical theater” and is currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School.
PRESENTATIONS FOR
The Juilliard School
92nd Street Y (NYC)
Cosmopolitan Club (NYC)
Chautauqua Women’s Club
Old Dominion University (VA)
RoundTable Cultural Seminars (NYC)
McKee Academic Lectures (CT)
University of Toronto
University of Minnesota
American Mime Theatre (NYC)
University of Richmond (VA)
Hamline University (MN)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Gettysburg College (PA)
McPherson College (KS)
