Professor Greg Wealthy, heart, sings and performs guitar together with his band Unlawful Smiles, a John Prine cowl band, which additionally consists of violinist Kathleen Schnerer, left, J.P. Stebal, drums, and matt Webb, on mandolin. Wealthy just lately launched a solo album of promoting songs, to associate with his introduction to advertising lessons.
An unconventional voice is usually the important thing to advertising schooling, at the very least that’s the underlying message behind the brand new album from professor Greg Wealthy.
When he began noticing boredom creeping in from the scholars in his Bowling Inexperienced State College on-line introductory advertising course, Wealthy tapped into his musical expertise as a solution to promote his class.
“A yr in the past I made a decision to boost the category, by writing a unique track about every chapter within the textbook,” Wealthy stated. “They’re all tied to completely different advertising ideas … It was the spring of 2022 and I used to be an internet course. The web video lectures of programs, lots of college students discover it boring to look at a video lecture.”
“The 4 Ps of Advertising and marketing” was launched as a digital album on Spotify final fall, with 15 songs like “Maslow’s Idea” and “Bases of Segmentation.”
“It’s like Schoolhouse Rock,” Wealthy stated. “That’s the place I obtained the concept.”
He did it with a bunch of session musicians in Nashville, working as his backup band.
Followers of the native music scene can hear him enjoying gigs round Bowling Inexperienced.
Wealthy moved to Bowling Inexperienced 28 years in the past. It was a bit greater than three years in the past that he began enjoying reside music together with his band Unlawful Smiles, a John Prine cowl band.
“I’ve been a John Prine fan virtually all my life,” Wealthy stated.
Prine got here on within the Seventies, with what Wealthy calls a “form of a cult following. … He was not very well-known. He’s rather more well-known now.”
Prine was initially thrown into the musical combine as a rustic music singer-songwriter, however is considered extra within the Americana or people class at present. Wealthy grew to become a fan as a 10-year-old, when his older brother introduced house some Prine albums from school.
“‘Candy Revenge’ was the primary Prine album I bear in mind listening to as a child. Hardly anybody knew who John Prine was. Individuals used to make enjoyable of me for taking part in this nation music. I form of really feel like I obtained the final chortle, as a result of he grew to become form of extra standard and form of a cool factor to be a fan of over time,” Wealthy stated.
He’s a fan of Prine’s flip of phrase, and the affect is clear within the advertising songs.
“I first purchased a guitar in 1983-ish, once I was an undergraduate. I began writing songs quickly after that. I performed largely for family and friends for a few years, sometimes going to an open mic. I began performing extra commonly about 10 years in the past due to Tim Concannon and Hump Day Revue,” Wealthy stated. “It’s enjoyable to get along with different individuals and play music.”
It was after a kind of Hump Day Revues when he got here up with the concept of forming a John Prine cowl band. Unlawful Smiles, a reputation derived from a Prine track, shaped with violinist Kathleen Schnerer, J.P. Stebal, drums, and Matt Webb, on mandolin. Additionally they continuously have Mike Williams on saxophone.
Their first gig was at Inexperienced Porchfest in 2021. They are going to be enjoying the occasion once more this yr on June 3. It’s centered round Eberly Avenue, with bands largely enjoying brief units, on entrance porches and in garages.
“I really like the Porchfest idea. I believe it’s an ideal neighborhood occasion. Something that helps reside music I’m all for,” Wealthy stated.
It’s precisely the kind of intimate present he prefers to do. They’re large enough to make use of amplified tools however nonetheless sufficiently small to fairly shortly arrange and take down.
He additionally recommends that at Porchfest individuals must also see Mike Williams play his solo present and likewise hearken to Freight Road.
“Mike’s enjoying with Unlawful Smiles, Moths within the Attic and his solo present,” Wealthy stated.
As for the advertising songs, they are often humorous, however they appear to be an efficient manner to assist train, and Wealthy has empirical proof for proof. Whereas he admits that correlation doesn’t imply causation, he can present that the scholars who research the songs do higher within the class.
“I’m writing a tutorial paper on it,” Wealthy stated. “I analyze how effectively college students know the songs, how effectively they know the lyrics and I take a look at how effectively they do on exams. … There actually is a correlation. Moreover, it’s form of a enjoyable factor. It provides a component of enjoyable to the category.
The track idea can be catching on.
“I do get constructive suggestions from college students, and I’m positive there are some that roll their eyes and assume it’s silly, however they’re good sufficient that they don’t inform me that. It’s truly utilized by different professors across the nation who train advertising,” Wealthy stated. “I created music movies for every track and they’re utilized by different college members.”
