Because THEY’RE Young: Dr. Mindy Landeck Teaches Bowie in Texas
For this week’s interview, I spoke with Dr. Mindy Landeck, chair of the Department of East Asian Studies at Austin College, about her course, “David Bowie’s Brilliant Adventure.” The class, taught as part of the college’s intensive January term, encourages students to engage with Bowie’s work in ways that go beyond passive listening. Instead of simply studying his music, students create their own artistic projects—album redesigns, poetry, painting, and even performances—all inspired by Bowie’s creative philosophy.
Dr. Landeck explained that her motivation for designing the course stemmed from observing a hesitancy among students to take creative risks. She noted that since the pandemic, many students seem reluctant to step outside of their comfort zones, often seeking rigid instructions and clear expectations. “What I felt is really kind of being lost,” she said, “was the kind of creativity, the creative spark that I want students to feel room to embrace.” Bowie, as she saw it, was the perfect model of an artist who reinvented himself constantly and embraced uncertainty as part of the creative process.
One of the most interesting aspects of our conversation was how students approached Bowie’s music, often with little or no prior knowledge of his work. While some had heard his songs before, they didn’t always associate them with him. Dr. Landeck surveyed her students before the course began and found that only about half were aware of Bowie at all, and only 20 percent knew he was a musician. Many, unsurprisingly, were familiar with him through Labyrinth rather than his discography. However, she was surprised by how many students already knew Blackstar and appreciated it as a piece of music independent of Bowie’s legacy.
Throughout the course, Dr. Landeck focused on fostering deep listening habits. Students were encouraged to listen to entire albums without distraction, something she noted was not common in their daily lives. She recalled one exercise where she had students listen blindfolded to Aladdin Sane to focus entirely on the sound. They also worked with the cut-up technique Bowie used, creating new lyrics using magnetic poetry, an activity that led to unexpected and often insightful results.
When I asked what students responded to most in Bowie’s catalog, she said their tastes varied widely. Some gravitated toward his 90s and 2000s work, while others connected with the theatricality of his early career. As for controversy, students did not find Bowie’s androgyny or gender-bending shocking by today’s standards, though they appreciated the historical significance. Some drew parallels between his reinvention and the persona shifts of contemporary artists like Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan.
Beyond music, the class aimed to inspire students to embrace creativity in all aspects of their lives. “I hope that it inspires them to step out of the envelope,” Dr. Landeck said, echoing Bowie’s belief that real creativity happens just past the point of comfort. It was a fascinating discussion about how Bowie’s legacy continues to shape new generations in unexpected ways.