Lecturer hits the right note

ROSS GIBLIN/Dominion Post

IN TUNE: Associate professor of geography, Warwick Murray, performing at Victoria University open day. 'I think the use of music is great for drawing people in and helps the concentration levels too,' Murray says.

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A geography lecturer's attire is traditionally worlds away from a T-shirt topped with a quiff.

But that's where Victoria University associate professor Warwick Murray breaks the mould.

The off-the-wall academic is rapidly making his name with a rock'n'roll attitude that is as much about informing his students as entertaining them.

The 35-year-old actually prefers the Blues and Latin American Music but is adamant that any melodic sound helps both the lecturing and learning process.

He has just been awarded the NZ Geographical Society President's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Prospective students experienced his inimitable style at a university open day on Friday in which the Birmingham troubadour serenaded them with his own brand of music aimed at inspiring his geography classes.

Fittingly for someone in his field, his path to Victoria has been by way of several other stops, including posts at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji and Brunel University in London.

"I use music to discuss issues relevant to the course. I think the use of music is great for drawing people in and helps the concentration levels too."

It's an idea unashamedly borrowed from a geography teacher who taught him in Britain, who always related the subject to what was going on in the news. "He opened our minds, really made it relevant to the subject and was animated and expressive."

At university he had a geology lecturer who tried a different approach. "He talked to rocks and tried to imagine the world from the rock's perspective."

Another lecturer in his department at Victoria uses meditation as part of her lecturing style.

Dr Murray said each approach had their place as the important thing was to impart the knowledge and bridge the gap between research brilliance and teaching excellence. He is careful not to push his novelty act too, far pointing out that in a course of 12 weeks he'd get the guitar and harmonica out only four times.

"But I do use music in every class and have around 80 lectures a year," he said. "The music lightens up what can be a serious subject."

He coordinates three courses at the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, including developmental studies.

His songs address issues from globalisation to climate change, but also offer a fine line in humour every student can appreciate.

"This one's called the 3 o'clock in the morning and I haven't started my essay blues," he tells the lunchtime audience.

Another is called Santiago Nights, a homage to Chile where he met his wife, studied for his PhD and which continues to be of key research interest to him.

- © Fairfax NZ News