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Francais (French)
The McGill Community for Lifelong Learning (MCLL) is a non-profit service which offers seniors a program of study groups, lectures, workshops, outings and social activities. The program encompasses a wide variety of cultural, literary, scientific and historical subjects, including music of course, as well as aspects of current events.
Established in 1989, MCLL is modeled on similar programs at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MCLL operates under the umbrella of McGill University’s School of Continuing Studies and has some 800 members with varied personal and professional backgrounds.
Zoom has now made it possible for people from across Canada and beyond to join the fun. Although most of the 50 study groups are led in English, there are some groups led in French. Along with intellectual stimulation, new friendships are among the many benefits. Another is that there are no exams and participation is not graded. What could be better than that?
“MCLL has been a true blessing in my life,” shared member Denise Lord. “It has allowed me to connect with individuals who share similar interests and passions. Peer learning has proven to be enriching and stimulating for both mind and soul. Sharing thoughts, ideas and life experiences with educated, cultured and bright individuals makes for exceptional learning experiences.”
The moderators who lead the study groups are volunteers who wish to share their passion for a particular topic. They may be experts in the domain or may simply have done enough in-depth research on a topic to be able to share what they learned and elicit discussions among the participants. Each moderator chooses whether his or her study group will meet in-person, on Zoom or by a combination of both (hybrid format). While some participants prefer study groups that meet in person, others opt for the comfort of their homes.
Some study groups are based on lectures from the moderator and videos, while others mostly consist of presentations made by the participants. In all groups, participants are encouraged to discuss, ask questions, and even debate various aspects of the topic. In this way moderators and participants share their interest in and knowledge of the selected topic.
101-year-old Miriam Tees worked as a librarian until 1988 and then graduated with a Master’s degree in Music in 1996. To put her knowledge to work, she worked as a volunteer in the McGill Music Library, first on the distinguished Handel collection, and then for five or six years, cataloging part of a backlog of 7,000 CDs. Meanwhile, she discovered the McGill Institute for Learning in Retirement, the MCLL’s former name, and has now moderated many study groups in the field of music, usually about medieval and renaissance music, but latterly branching out to Bach, Handel, and a very popular study session called “Building Blocks of Music.”
Among the study groups available in the Spring 2024 term, there are topics on visual and performing arts, including five on music:
- Bach’s Transformation of Classical Music;
- The Life, Times, and Music of Leonard Cohen;
- The Life, Times, and Music of Gordon Lightfoot;
- Desert Island Discs (based on the BBC program of the same name);
- and one focusing on percussion instruments.
Most study groups run for 10 weeks (some are shorter) and they meet once a week, Monday to Thursday, at the following times:
- 9:30-11:30 a.m.
- 12:00-2:00 p.m.
- 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Registrations for the Spring term open on April 2 at 9:30 a.m. and the actual study groups start as early as April 15.
For additional information visit https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
