It’s back to school time once again, and while many kids are dreading the thought of another year of math, science and even P.E, others are excited to get back to studying some of the greatest music of all-time.

Music education is a path many people choose and we’re lucky in Canada we have so many amazing options available to us from Humber College, Queens University, to Nimbus School of the Arts, there is something for every career path you’re looking to follow.

But did you know you can actually study artist specific programs? Yeah like get a degree in the history of Tom Petty or Joni Mitchell! Sadly Jack Black isn’t teaching anyone about the legend of the rent, that’s too hardcore nowadays, but you can learn from some notable schools.

We did some digging and found a few programs that were interesting to us.

DAVID BOWIE

While most know Bowie as singer, he was also an artist and former art student. Much of the art he created was in line with his music. Since his passing in 2017, there have been a couple of schools offering courses studying the life and art of David Bowie. At the University of Kentucky, Music Theorist Kevin Holm-Hudson and Art Historian Anna Brzyski ran a class looking at the “universe” of David Bowie.

In the UK, students at the School of Art and Visual Studies can take a class dedicated to the life of David Bowie and his career in music, visual arts, fashion, theatre, film and video.

ELVIS PRESLEY

Elvis has always been credited as one of the early pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll as we know it so it makes sense his career and impact would be studied. Before Elvis made his comeback this year thanks to the movie ‘ELVIS’, he was the subject of a three-credit course at the University Of Iowa in the early 1990s. We’d love to take the hip shaking class.

 

RUSH

Canada hasn’t been forgotten. Tiffin University in Ohio launched a RUSH university course in 2014 for students pursuing a career in the music industry. We wonder how many students thought it was just a fast course and signed up not knowing they were actually studying the “Tom Sawyer” prog-rockers. RUSH has been a cultural icon since the 1970s so it makes sense that professors would share their history with kids of today. If they don’t watch the movie “I Love You, Man” this course is a total waste.

THE BEATLES

The key to this class is you can’t blow your nose for a month so you can get the Ringo Starr sound with your voice.

There are a few schools we’ve found that offer university credits for studying the history, music and impact of The Beatles. The University of Rochester offers a virtual class so Beatles fans around the world can earn their university degree no matter where they are.

If you really want to get serious though, the University of Manchester offers a Master’s degree on The Beatles. Maybe you can create the hype of Beatlemania with your next promotion after taking this course!

KISS

Not so much a college program, but the library at the University of Southern California (USC) covers pop culture from the 19th century to today and most recently have added an entire collection dedicated to the history, or should we say, KISStory of the band KISS. The collection was a gift from John Upshaw Downs, Jr., a businessman from Charleston, and his wife, Margaret Norris Downs, who have a deep interest in music and art. Next time you’re in LA, pop by the USC library to check it out!

Other honourable mentions who have college or university programs dedicated to them include the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd.

 

BOOT CAMP

If you’re not looking to take the academia route and want to get on stage and rocking, you can sign up for a Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp where you’ll get the ultimate lesson in rock ‘n’ roll from some of your favourite aritsts, learning from memebers of The Eagles, KISS, Pink Floyd and more!

 

What band would you  love to take a university program studying?

Filed under: david-bowie, elvis-presley, KISS, rush, the-beatles