Throughout much of the 20th century, Blues was a genre most readily identified with men wielding guitars. But back in the 1920's, nothing could have been further from the truth. During the Blues craze of the 1920's, the iconic image of this music was of a woman, belting out the blues in front of a large band. This class will examine the lives and music of some of the key figures of this era, including Mamie Smith, "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters and others. Audio and video recordings, along with live performances from the instructor, will make this course as lively as the music itself, albeit a little less bawdy.

You might know Seth Kibel as the funky clarinet player at HSOSC's High Holy Day services. He is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier woodwind specialists, working with some of the best bands in klezmer, jazz, swing, and more. Wowing audiences on clarinet, saxophone, and flute, Seth has made a name for himself in the Washington/Baltimore region, and beyond. He is the featured performer with The Kleztet, Bay Jazz Project, Music Pilgrim Trio, The Natty Beaux, and more. Winner of 28 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies), including “Best World Music Instrumentalist” (2003-11) and “Best Jazz Instrumentalist” (2005, 2007-8, 2011-14). His most recent recording, "When You're Smiling," was released in 2018 on the Azalea City Recordings record label. His song "New Waltz" was the Grand Prize winner of 2016 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest (MASC), sponsored by the Songwriters' Association of Washington (SAW). When he's not performing, Seth frequently lectures on a variety of topics in music history for numerous institutions, including SPICE and the Osher Lifelong Learning programs at Johns Hopkins and Towson Universities.

Policies and Registration:
All SPICE courses must be registered for and paid for in their entirety. SPICE fees are per head, not per household, with a 50% off fee for second registrants within the same household.

A minimum of 15 enrollees per course are required in order to hold the course. If a course must be canceled, those registered will be notified and a SPICE credit will be issued.

Reservations are to be made online (below)

Payment may be made in one of three ways:
1. Credit/Debit Card
2. Bill your synagogue account HSOSC Members only.
3. Check Make the check out to “SPICE at HSOSC” and drop off at our office, or mail it to us (7310 Park Heights Ave. 21208)
Regardless of how you pay, you must register online!