Feeling the need for a refresher course in music history but don't have the time for a lengthy commitment? Tired of attending dry talks that tell but don't show? Ever wonder what really goes on at the Historic Asolo Theater (at the John and Mable Ringling Estate in Sarasota) on select Tuesdays at 11 am?

Here's your chance to address those woes and answer any outstanding q's. Starting January 22, pianist and lecturer Dr. Judith Alstadter will be conducting a four-part series, Women Composers: Romantic to Ragtime. And she'll do it not just by speaking with her mouth but with her hands. In other words, as she discusses the life story of Clara Schumann, she'll also be playing her Romatic Era pieces.  So your edutainment will be doubly reinforced, and not at all sleepy-making.

In fact, you might be so moved as to have lunch at the estate's Treviso Restaurant afterward. Trust me, there's a completely different kind of harmony awaiting you there. Mussels, tomatoes and garlic, for instance, strike just one beautiful chord.