Rock School

Series produced by KSLU

Series image

Rock School is a weekly, insightful and energetic showcase of the music, history, laws and culture of rock-n-roll hosted by music historian Joe Burns , Ph.D. and his wife Tammy.

Rock School is a weekly, hour-long lecture by music historian, Dr. Joe Burns. No topic is off the table. In the over a decade the show has been on air, Rock School has talked about everything from simple music lists to music in society, the audio production side of the business and just about every legal area you can imagine.

Hosted by Dr. Joe Burns and his wife Tammy, Rock School is recorded and produced in Joe's home studio and sent out through Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA from the studios of KSLU public radio.


622 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Piece image
Earlier this year, we did a shows on the topics of folk songs and while researching that show, we found a lot of songs outside the folk genre that ...

Bought by WYAP, KWIT, WOUB, KSRQ, KTRL and more


  • Added: Jul 11, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
This week we are going to to talk about some of the golden days in music video. Many well known stars got their start in a big music videos. We h...

Bought by KHNS, KSRQ, WYAP, KWIT, Harford Community Radio and more


  • Added: Jul 04, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Piece image
This week we will discuss stories about bands that won't play their hit in concert. Often the band or artist has a decent reason but sometimes it ...

Bought by WYAP, KWIT, KSRQ, WOUB, Harford Community Radio and more


  • Added: Jun 27, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
Musicians, especially stringed instrument musicians, have a better than 80 percent chance of developing Trigger Finger. I know. I had it and at t...

Bought by KSRQ, KWIT, WOUB, Harford Community Radio, and KTRL


  • Added: Jun 20, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Piece image
This is the second part of our facinating interview with the flutist for Motown, Dayna Hartwick. Think of a classic hit for Motown and she played ...

Bought by KSRQ, WYAP, KWIT, KTRL, Harford Community Radio and more


  • Added: Jun 13, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
Think of your favorite Motown song. If there is a flute or piccolo on that song, it was played by Dayna Hartwick. For close to a decade, she was ...

Bought by KTRL, KSRQ, WYAP, KWIT, Harford Community Radio and more


  • Added: Jun 08, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
There's a trivia questions goes around asking, what is the first posthumous number one hit? The answer that is probably expected is Sittin on the ...

Bought by KTRL, WYAP, KSRQ, KWIT, Harford Community Radio and more


  • Added: May 30, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
Welcome to week two of Bad Managers. There are simply so many stories of managers messing over their clients that we had to make two shows out o...

Bought by WYAP, KWIT, KTRL, KSRQ, WOUB and more


  • Added: May 23, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
It's a well known music trope that managers often do NOT do well by their clients. In fact, it happens so often, we're going to do two shows out o...

Bought by WYAP, KWIT, KSRQ, WOUB, and Harford Community Radio


  • Added: May 16, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Piece image
WBIJ-DB is the first digital radio station to pick up the Rock School Radio Show. Since I knew nothing about digital radio, I thought an interview...

Bought by WNYO, KWIT, KSRQ, WOUB, and Harford Community Radio


  • Added: May 09, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Piece image
We were in a conversation about musicians reusing their own lyrics. We found so many examples that I though there had to be a name for this. Ther...

Bought by WYAP, KSRQ, WNYO, KWIT, WOUB and more


  • Added: May 02, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
Phoebe Bridgers smashed her guitar on Saturday Night Live back in February. It was a stunt for sure but then it sold for over $100,000 at a GLAAD ...

Bought by WYAP, WNYO, KWIT, WOUB, KSRQ and more


  • Added: Apr 25, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
Just for fun, we collected a bunch of musician's appearances on Sesame Street. The sonigs are nice and short so we were able to play many more son...

Bought by KSRQ, WNYO, WYAP, WOUB, and Harford Community Radio


  • Added: Apr 18, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
From: KSLU
Series: Rock School
Piece image
NFT stands for Non Fungible Token. It is a method of proving that a digital thing is the first copy. It works somewhat like a Cryptocurrency. An...

Bought by WYAP, WNYO, KSRQ, KWIT, WOUB and more


  • Added: Apr 11, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
(Please note - we usually post on Sunday but are posting this a early due to a committment - thanks) So, what was the first Music Video? I don't ...

Bought by KTRL, WNYO, KWIT, KSRQ, Harford Community Radio and more


  • Added: Apr 01, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
From: KSLU
Series: Rock School
Piece image
This week was inspired by the Spinal Tap debut back in 1984. Once I started doing the research, there was simply a large group of bands that are b...

Bought by KSRQ, KWIT, Harford Community Radio, and WOUB


  • Added: Mar 28, 2021
  • Length: 58:56
  • Purchases: 4
Piece image
The Greatest Hits album is either loved or hated. You either get all the hits in one place or your not a real fan of the band. The funny thing is...

Bought by KSRQ, WNYO, KWIT, WOUB, and Harford Community Radio


  • Added: Mar 22, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
From: KSLU
Series: Rock School
Piece image
About once a year, or so, someone creates a song specifically to make a dance. The lyrics say what to do and we do it. But, what was the first? ...

Bought by WYAP, WNYO, KWIT, WOUB, KSRQ and more


  • Added: Mar 14, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Piece image
Hendrix opening for The Monkees is the benchmark of odd opening bands, but there is a reason they were paired. And there is a reason why a lot of ...

Bought by WYAP, KWIT, WOUB, KSRQ, and Harford Community Radio


  • Added: Mar 07, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Piece image
Have you ever watched the Grammys and wondered who are the people who get to vote for this? I have the answer this week. Michael Brothers is a pr...

Bought by KTSW 89.9, WNYO, WYAP, KSRQ, KWIT and more


  • Added: Feb 28, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7