(Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

ROCK DREAMS

TRU rock history course co-taught by former Stones manager living up to the hype

Feb 7, 2020 | 4:47 PM

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University’s newest instructor has been bringing in a new level of learning interest for students taking the Rock Dreams course.

Now a few weeks deep into the winter semester, the course headlined by former Rolling Stones manager, Andrew Loog-Oldham has brought in students from all kinds of backgrounds.

Bruce Baugh of TRU’s Philosophy department is co-instructing the course alongside Loog-Oldham, and Billy Collins from tourism management. So far Baugh says the feedback they’ve received about the content has been extremely positive, and there is a wide array of student bodies in the room.

“Some of them are undergraduate students, but some of these students are my fellow faculty members, and they’ve all been telling me that that they’re really enjoying the course, they’re finding it incredibly interesting,” Baugh says, “You can feel that in the room. You know, with 200 students in the room, and they’re all keenly paying attention.”

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CFJC Today sat in on part of a class last night (Feb. 6), and saw that it’s no exaggeration. By the time a session begins, it’s standing room only in the auditorium.

Shaping a realistic perspective, Oldham says they’ve been using film footage from the 1960’s that paints a better picture of what the post-World War II era was really like.

“The swinging 60’s basically existed for 300 people. The rest just got on with their lives. And the students saw the real first glimpse,” he explains, “They thought it was going to be all Beatles and Rolls Royces, and things, and rock and roll matters, and we’re able to show them the reality of whom we were lucky enough to be playing to.”

Other big names in the music industry have heard about the course, and Baugh says they’ve been sending in books, CDs, and DVDs with archival footage to provide unique content.

“That’s being sent to us by people like Lou Adler, who was a very prominent producer and record executive. We’ve been getting stuff from Keith Richards’ office – Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, if people don’t know that,” Baugh says with a smile, “And other people I’m not at liberty to name at the moment.”

Oldham says living through the iconic era in music not only gives insight into how the industry has changed, but he also can attest to how many of today’s artists put a larger focus on image and lifestyle over simply making music for enjoyment.

“More based on fame. There’s one main difference. Nobody in the Rolling Stones wanted to live the life of an 80-year-old black man- whereas young people today do want to live the lives they think we lived,” Oldham notes, “So that’s the basic different role model. I mean our idols were apart from say, Elvis and Eddie Cochran was Little Richard and Fats Domino, or in the Rolling Stones case, Little Walter and Willie Dickson. So they wanted to emulate the music, but the lifestyle didn’t come into it.”

The course is designed with student growth in mind, but Oldham says there has also been learning on the instructor’s end.

“It’s different when you listen to yourself talking to people that you have to be more explicit (with) than when you’re amongst people who know the game. And so I’m getting a whole new Rolodex of what it is I did as well.”

So far, there are no concrete plans for Andrew Loog-Oldham to continue his education career, however he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of teaching again after the course wraps up in April.

“I’m just going to stay in the moment and see what happens.”