Bill Shepherd will offer insights based on personal experiences during his Keep on Learning course on “Big Bands” at Wartburg College in February.

Shepherd will discuss “What Made the Big Bands Big — and Will They Ever Come Back?” on four consecutive Thursday mornings, Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23.

Shepherd, an associate professor of music at the University of Northern Iowa, will provide a personal glimpse of life with a touring big band, including film footage and three recordings from his time with the Tommy Dorsey/Warren Covington Orchestra.

The class also will include footage of Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey/Buddy Morrow and Lawrence Welk as well as recordings by the Bill Shepherd Big Band, which he founded after joining the UNI faculty.

Participants will discuss the social and the financial atmosphere of the time, the generation of a playlist, and the “book” used in big band performances.

Shepherd, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ohio University, also has conducted the Waterloo Community Band for 20 years and founded the New Horizons Band for musicians ages 50 and up.

The Keep on Learning sessions in the Heritage Room of Saemann Student Center begin with coffee at 9 a.m., followed by the presentation from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Parking is available near Saemann Student Center for those entering campus on Wartburg Boulevard.

Pre-registration is not required, and a $30 fee is payable at the second class.

The Wartburg Alumni and Parent Relations Office coordinates Keep on Learning with the assistance of a volunteer committee. For more information call 319-352-8491 or e-mail alumni@wartburg.edu.