History of the DJ course spinning some heads

Hey, check it out! My next course for the University of Victoria's Continuing Studies department — "Play That Funky Music: 60 Years of DJ Culture" — seems to have struck an (ahem) chord with people. Not only was I invited on a local radio station (CFAX 1070) to talk about it last week, but the daily paper also picked up a piece on it.

A Taste for Education
John Threlfall is taking his passion for radio to the classroom as part of UVic's continuing studies program
By Rob Shaw, Times Colonist
Photograph by : Bruce Stotesbury, Times Colonist
Published: Monday, December 19, 2005

Master Distiller Mike Nicolson dispenses the kind of education you can only find at the bottom of a glass of malt whisky.
The taste and the chemistry of Scotland's most famous beverage provides for a robust course syllabus in his University of Victoria class: "Malt Whisky: A flavour journey."
It's not the kind of educational experience you'd expect at UVic, unless you glanced through the venerable institution's Spring Continuing Studies guide and its more than 200 public courses -- some of which have little to do with reading, writing or arithmetic.
"Apparently there's a bit of a buzz about [the course]," said the Glasgow-born Nicolson, who retired to North Saanich two years ago. "As far as the university is concerned, it's quite innovative of them to see a gap in the market and be interested in presenting it in a way that stands out."
"Sometimes drinking whisky can be intimidating because there seems to be all sorts of rules ... and I want to sweep that aside and make it more personal."
His three-day course costs $160.50, includes multiple tastings, and also examines the chemical makeup of malt whisky with UVic chemist Roderick Haesevoets.
Alcohol-based learning may be an eye-catcher in the calendar, but the UVic guide also contains popular courses in business, public relations, computer training, nutrition, health, retirement planning, nature, language and social justice.
There's at least 21 new courses this year, available to anyone in the public of any age (although you must be 19 to taste whisky).
"They don't have to have been to university to access these courses," said UVic promotions manager Michael Turner. "It's open to everybody."
More than 16,000 people enrolled in the courses last year, and 14,000 Victoria residents ask the university to mail them the calendar twice a year so they can check out the spring and winter selections, said Turner.
Key to the success of Continuing Education are the instructors, who are often passionate local experts.

John Threlfall, a self-professed music fanatic whose vast three-generation family collection of tapes, records and CDs exceeds 1,500 recordings, teaches the three-hour seminar "Play that funky music: Sixty years of disc jockey culture."
"My whole thing is I want to make history interesting, because people have this idea in their minds that it's boring," he said.
Part of the appeal is sharing his passion about legendary DJs such as Red Robinson and recapping the social impact of DJs from the 1930s to the present, he said.
"Education should be fun. A lot of us come from the education system and we think, 'Thank God I don't have to take another course,' and they carry that stigma with them."
Threlfall, a former UVic student now a contributor to CBC Radio's Definitely Not The Opera and arts editor at Monday Magazine, said it's rewarding to teach students who attend class because they are excited.
"What better audience to preach to than that," he said. "To present your ideas to people who will drink them up. That's great."
Registration for Continuing Education courses is open now at www.continuingstudies.uvic.ca and by phone at 472-4747.
rfshaw@tc.canwest.com
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2005