Exercising Body and Mind

I take a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone approach to exercising. When the weather is too cold to comfortably walk outdoors, I walk laps around the basketball court at the Salvation Army Community Center on 129th West Avenue in Sand Springs. While walking, I wear my portable CD player and listen to a lecture from a college level course produced by The Teaching Company. Following the lecture I will play a CD of some kind of music to finish up my walk. I usually walk an hour to an hour and forty mintues per walk.

In January, I listened to the course "Beethoven -- His Life and Music," an 8-lecture course (45 minutes per lecture) taught by Robert Greenberg. Greenberg is one of the best lecturers I have heard. Not only does he know his material thoroughly, he delivers his lectures with energy and humor. The Teaching Company has produced several courses in the area of music using Greenberg. Presently I am listening to another of his courses, "Bach and the High Baroque," as I walk. This is a longer course with 32 45-minute lectures.

The Tulsa Library has in its collection several courses from The Teaching Company in a variety of media: compact disc, audio tape, video tape, DVD. Greenberg's "How to Listen to and Understand Great Music" is available from the library in CD form. The Teaching Company also produces courses in the areas of religion, philosophy, history, psychology, and art, to name just a few other subject areas.

To learn more about The Teaching Company or to order materials, go to www.teach12.com.