A Wizard, A True Star, A… Professor?

Rundgren has been selected as the ninth Wells Professor in the Wells Scholars Program and will teach the middle two weeks of a four-week, one-credit honors seminar, beginning in mid October and running through mid-November, for 22 Wells Scholars and Hutton Honors students.

The syllabus calls for Rundgren to co-teach the class with Indiana University Professor of Music Glenn Gass. It was Gass’ friendship with the musician that led to Rundgren’s new educational calling, having met the artist when he and his wife were doing a year’s sabbatical in Rundgren’s adopted state of Hawaii.

“The kids start taking the bus together and the next thing you know, you’re going to cookouts at Todd’s,” Gass said. “I quickly learned that everything they said about him was true. He’s brilliant, articulate, really interesting – and interested in things far beyond his own work and even his music. He’s just a really engaged human being.”

Along with his new gig, Rundgren will give a public lecture titled “Longhair: Todd Rundgren On the Beatles Effect” and present a Halloween-night recital called “Cluster: The Birth Of The T Chord.”

What do Indiana University students think of their newest professor? Let’s put it this way, the class is full and there’s a waiting list.

“All of a sudden it went from being a day dream to being a real possibility, and now it’s actually happening,” Gass said. “He really can call himself Professor Rundgren. This is not a gimmick: He is the Wells Professor.”

Click here to read the announcement from Indiana University.