What do jazz and flight have in common? More than you might imagine.
Join Paul Glenshaw, Rick Davis, and Jim Carroll for a behind-the-scenes conversation exploring To Swing Through the Sky , a multimedia presentation connecting the invention of jazz and the invention of human flight. Through music, storytelling, projected imagery, and live performance, the work traces how curiosity, courage, teamwork, and creativity transformed both American music and aviation at the dawn of the twentieth century.
This special Lifelong Learning class will feature excerpts, discussion, and reflections from the creators behind the Saturday, November 14 performance. Topics include the origins of jazz in New Orleans, the Wright Brothers and early aviation pioneers, Louis Armstrong and Charles Lindbergh, improvisation, risk-taking, and how innovation emerges when people dare to imagine something entirely new. The presentation will also explore larger questions for lifelong learners: How does creativity change society? What role does curiosity play in a meaningful life? Why do art, discovery, and collaboration matter across generations?
NOTE: This class serves as an introduction to the Hylton performance by the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on the evening of November 14th. The George Mason University’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative is proud to provide free tickets for Veterans and service members to the Nov 14th performance. The free tickets are available in person at the Hylton enter Ticket Office with ID (up to two tickets each).
They are also offering the usual LLI 20% discount.


LLI Coordinator: Valerie Kenyon Gaffney