What Makes Music Amazing

A Lecture Series on American Music

by Andrew Muson

About The Series

The entertaining and informative lectures illuminate the history and development of American music. Each lecture explores genres and styles through a fast-paced format that includes the why and the how, historic and cultural context, a vast archive of clips and the endlessly entertaining personal recollections of a music biz veteran who loves to share his excitement and understanding.

2024: Zooming Live and Direct from the beautiful Mid Hudson Valley to UCLA’s Osher Extension Division.

The Courses

The Blues: How Three Chords Became Rock and Roll

All That Jazz:

Appreciating an American Art Form

a.k.a Jazz Demystified: Evolution of an Art Form

Knowing The Score:

How Music Makes Movies Come Alive

The Map of American Music

What Makes Music Amazing brings American music to life for anyone and everyone. The engaging lecture series is taught by Andrew Muson, the Juilliard educated musician with five decades of professional experience as a player, composer, technologist and producer.

About Andrew Muson

During a 30+ year career as an A-list session player, Andrew Muson has played upright and electric bass on numerous gold and platinum albums, television themes and film scores in the studios of New York and Los Angeles. He’s appeared on stages throughout the world from Carnegie Hall to Montreux, recorded and performed with an eclectic roster of artists which includes James Taylor, Yoko Ono, The Manhattan Transfer, Leo Sayer, B.J. Thomas, Bette Midler, Mary Travers (Peter, Paul & Mary), Albert King, Herbie Mann, Jackie and Roy, Toots Thielemans and Victor Feldman

In addition to his studio career, Muson has been a pioneering digital music technologist and entrepreneur, composer, producer and music supervisor for many television, film and video projects.