The Genius of Tom Lehrer (In-person)
Winter (4 - 8.5 hours) | Registration opens 11/24/2025 12:00 AM EDT
Tom Lehrer, who recently passed away at the age of 97, was a mathematical genius who graduated from Harvard College with a degree in mathematics at the age of 18. He spent most of his life teaching math at Harvard, MIT, and the University of California. In his spare time, he became one of the best satirical musicians in our history.
What is most remarkable is that many of his songs are as meaningful and relevant today as they were 60 to 70 years ago when they were written. He played his last public concert for money in 1967, although he appeared several more times for various causes he supported. All in all, they had played only 15 nightclub engagements and 104 solo concerts when he stopped performing.
We will follow his performances on YouTube and discuss his unique style and impact on the music world as well as on our culture. We look forward to your thoughts and comments because you were there when all of this was happening!
This course will combine lecture with class discussions.
Image: "RIP Tom Lehrer (1928–2025) Musician, satirist and mathematician" by dullhunk is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
Ford Daley
Ford’s interest in non-classical music started in childhood. He loves to share musical experiences and ideas and its impact on our lives. He sings and plays guitar, harmonica, and Dobro.
Maynard Goldman
Maynard Goldman is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a BA in Political Science and the Harvard Law School with a JD. A long time participant in the political process , he has received appointments from Governors of Massachusetts and NH on both sides of the aisle. He was an Adjunct Professor at Colby Sawyer College and has been teaching at Osher for more than 10 years.