ROCK SCHOOL
Respecting each other’s talking space is vital to a good radio show, the Burnses say.
Southeastern professor’s backyard studio project becomes a global radio hit
BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer
Joe Burns is in his backyard recording studio chatting with Les Paul, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Rik Emmett of the Canadian rock band Triumph.
Then Burns wakes up. Yes, it’s all been a dream, but dreams are good, right?
As Burns and his co-host/wife Tammy Burns surpass 900 “Rock School” radio shows, the Southeastern Louisiana University department head still has a dream list of interviewees rattling around his rock ‘n’ roll brain. No mind that all these electric guitar masters have passed on, save for 72-year-old
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ON THE AIR
”Rock School” airs on 90.9 The Lion at 5 p.m.Thursdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. It is also available on the station’s website, https://www2.southeastern.edu/kslu/ rock_school/, the Public Radio Exchange network (PRX) and at the American Archive of Public Broadcasting
Livingston plans cat spaying, neutering event
For the first time, the town of Livingston will host a trap-neuter-return event to help manage its community cat population, town leaders have announced In a Facebook post, event organizers said the program is a humane approach that reduces strays over time, improves public health and creates a healthier environment for both animals and residents. Here’s how it works:
n Trap pickup: Sept. 8–13, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Livingston Parish Animal Shelter, 13525 Florida Blvd., Livingston. Must bring your valid ID to register n Trap night: Set traps the evening of Sept. 14. n Drop ff: Bring cats in traps back to the shelter by 9 a.m., Sept. 15.
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page
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY PHOTOS BY RANDY BERGERON
PHOTO BY RICHARD MEEK
advancing Livingston Parish in a positive way. This class prepares them for that,” said April Wehrs, program facilitator and chamber president.
The Livingston Parish Chamber made the initial investment in the program with its first class selected in 2012 to graduate in 2013.
Class members have advanced their careers, started organizations, run for public office and become involved in community initiatives.
The program is designed to take class members through a 10-month program where they are introduced to various topics. The program is hands-on where class members travel to various locations throughout the parish Class members also agree to participate in a project component. Class members are tasked with identifying, researching and creating a plan to address an issue deserving support.
Projects have ranged from large ones like the Albany Playground, French Settlement Playground, First Responders Monument and Challengers Ballfield. The latest addition is the Walker Disc Golf Course. Smaller projects are just as important to the recipient such as the renovations to the new location of “Dog People of Livingston Parish” facility upgrades.
The new class includes Buffy Anderson, City of Denham Springs; Rick Banker, North Oaks Health System; Tiffany Battistella, Livingston Parish Public Schools; Chase Bernard, Client Technology Services; Calvin Bowden, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office; Jennifer Brooks, Blue Cross Blue Shield
Kelly Pittman, Emily Glascock,
Bryson; and back
of Louisiana; Aaron Brown, Quality Engineering & Surveying LLC; Thomas ‘Bruiser’ Bryson, Livingston Parish Government; John Cavalier, Cavalier House Books; Landon Collins, Olivier Group;
Olivier Doin, Rouge Painters; and Michelle Dupuy Ochsner Health. Also, Emily Glascock, Baton Rouge Area Foundation; Melita Hatch, Regions Bank; Heather Hill, Our Lady of the Lake Livingston;
Maurice ‘Scooter’ Keen, Livingston Parish Government; Raymond Lee, Denham Springs Marshal’s Office; John Mangus, Livingston Parish Council; Kelsey Murray, city of Walker; Kelly Pittman, Premier
Throughout the downtown area, vendors offered their goods,
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choices to satisfy all palates, no matter the age. As per tradition of the past years, the event opened with the weekly Hammond Artesian and Farmers Market and spilled over into the petting zoo and outdoor yoga class at Cate Park. By midafternoon, Southeastern Louisiana University’s annual Lion Pooloza welcomed back students for the fall semester, with the start of class only three days earlier Throughout the day, artists displayed their works in various locations and families leisurely walked through the area, often stopping in at
People crowded into the
the most popular being red, plastic firefighter
Hot
PROVIDED PHOTO
The 2026 Leadership Livingston class includes, front row from left, Jennifer Brooks, Tiffany Battistella, Alexis Stewart and Michelle Dupuy; middle row,
Kelsey Murray, Buffy Anderson, Melita Hatch, Erin Sandefur Calvin Bowden Rick Banker Landon Collins and Thomas ‘Bruiser’
row, Raymond Lee Jr John Cavalier John Mangus, Luke Yoes, Aaron Brown, John Ponder and Chase Bernard
Geotech and Testing LLC; John Ponder Site Pro Construction; Erin Sandefur, Livingston Parish Council; Alexis Stewart, BRECO Federal Credit Union; and Luke Yoes, Hannis T. Bourgeois LLP
Tables are set up outside of the Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center with a variety of goodies and handouts for children,
hat at
August Stroll.
Hammond Farmers and Artisan Market.
PHOTOS BY RICHARD MEEK
with some moms pointing the way for their children at Hot August Stroll on Aug. 23 in downtown Hammond
Emmett — it’s a dream, remember?
Back to reality, former disc jockey and longtime guitarist Joe Burns has created 60-minute nuggets of music and talk featuring musicians, authors and more so entertaining and informative that “Rock School” is now part of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a project of the Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston.
The goal is to preserve for posterity the most significant public television and radio programs of the past 60 years.
”We’re one of the featured shows, which is mind-boggling,” Joe Burns said after settling into his comfy living room couch after a day at the office last week.
He explained that each of his shows had to be converted into a very specific audio format and uploaded to the archive. Visit americanarchive.org, click on “special collections” and there you’ll find “Rock School.”
In addition to its home station, the university’s KSLU (also known as 90.9 The Lion), “Rock School’ is picked up by 30 other public radio stations worldwide, among them stations in Colorado, Alaska, California, the UK, Spain, and yes, Joe Burns’ alma mater Westminster College
In session since 2007, “Rock School” was recorded at KSLU until a few years ago.
A show is born
A self-professed “radio rat,” Joe Burns gave those running an on-air fundraiser at KSLU in 2007 an ultimatum: If he were to be on air for an hour as requested, he’d put together his own playlist and talking points.
“So I went in and just off the top of my head, said a bunch of stuff and apparently we raised more money than any other hour,” Joe Burns said. “And we did it twice in a row That’s when we said, ‘I think there’s a show here.’ The teacher and one of his master’s degree students, Chad Pierce, who collaborated in the show’s early days, are fuzzy on who should take credit for “Rock School’s” name.
“Because ‘School of Rock’ was taken. And I think it was just as simple as ‘School of
Rock’ is a movie. Well, let’s go with ‘Rock School.’ There we go, now we have it,” Joe Burns recalled. But don’t bother thinking it’s just an hour of him spinning his favs. “It starts with rock,” he said. “But the point is a lecture for an hour each week about some rock topic.” The genre of tunes that listeners hear correlates to the subject of the hour. Take these, for instance: n Where is artificial intel-
ligence headed?
n Concerns surrounding music concerts
n Rock stars who have had heart attacks (inspired by Joe Burns’ own) n Hottest 100 Australian songs “There is no wall that we won’t cross. We play jazz from the early 1900s if it fits the topic. I’ve played stuff from ‘Porgy and Bess.’ I’ve played stuff from Showboat,’ ” he said. “We have beaten Taylor Swift to death.
It’s just, she breaks records and breaks records.”
Prep, prep, prep
Burns and Burns say they’ve gotten production of the weekly show down to an art.
“We do shows in bursts, meaning one weekend we’ll blow out four and then we won’t do another one for two weekends,” he explained.
“One of the concerns is it being a topical show We don’t want to get too far out in front. But on the same aspect, something has to happen for a show to occur.”
In addition to overseeing the Department of Communication and Media Studies and his teaching duties, he scours entertainment websites, email subscriptions and news of the day in search of subject matter
Timewise, each show generally takes four hours to put together, with at least two hours of that being research. A script is written, song list compiled, and then around an hour to record it, followed by a half-hour for editing.
Tammy Burns joins in when it’s time to head out to the cozy studio, which her
husband has decked out with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Blues Brothers posters, alongside one of Hank Williams. Collectible figures and other music tchotchkes decorate a wooden table holding the soundboard and keyboard. Mic stands, lighting, a wall-mounted monitor and Joe Burns’ guitar collection complete the scene.
“I am the dumb person walking in,” his wife says with a grin. “I don’t want to know the topic because what I don’t know makes me ask questions and be surprised. I don’t want to go in knowing anything.”
“She’s the audience member The point of being a good sidekick is understanding that it’s two people talking, but they can’t talk at the same time,” Joe Burns said. They’ve been doing the radio show together for years, and they trust each other, the couple agreed. It takes two
Although the couple met while working at an Alabama radio station soon after college, Tammy Burns eventually moved on to a career in pharmaceutical sales Her husband returned
to school for his master’s and doctorate degrees, trading the disc jockey life for an academic one. Nevertheless, they share a love of rock music, and aficionado Joe Burns emphasized that doing the show solo isn’t an option for him.
“He’s just got to have somebody standing there with him, you know, to look at and I disagree or say yes, no, yeah, nay,” Tammy Burns said. “Most of the time it’s stuff I don’t know anyway, so it’s not like it’s an argument.”
The 10 national and international Communicator Awards (often described as the radio/ podcast equivalent of a TV Emmy) honoring the show which are found throughout the home, and the Library of Congress recognition seem to contradict Burns’ modest self-assessment. On the bright side, there’s always teaching.
“I’m never happier than when I’m in front of a class,” he said. Or possibly in front of his wife and a mic.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.
THE LIVINGSTON-TANGIPAHOA ADVOCATE 10291 Hwy. 190, Walker, LA 70785 or P.O. Box 309, Walker, LA 70785 (225) 388-0215 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY Online at www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/
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SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY PHOTOS BY RANDY BERGERON
Joe and Tammy Burns record ‘Rock School’ in their backyard studio in Hammond.
Joe Burns has at least 10 national and international awards recognizing his longtime radio show, ‘Rock School.
September LPL book club selections: Fall into these fantastic reads
Community news report
The Livingston Parish Library has announced the book club selections for September All library branches host monthly book clubs for adults, and each club features a different “Book of the Month.” For more information on a particular book club, call the branch. In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling stand-alone novel.
Sunny Side Up Inspirational Book Club: 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept 9, Watson Branch. September selection, “The Preacher’s
Daughter” by Beverly Lewis.
This 2005 novel begins a journey of heartache and homespun delight — a series readers will find impossible to forget.
Spine Tinglers Book Club: 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9 Watson Branch September selection, “Those Empty Eyes” by Charlie Donlea.
From the bestselling author of “Twenty Years Later” comes this brilliantly twisting, skillfully plotted thriller perfect for fans of Jeneva Rose and Colleen Hoover’s “Verity.
Box of Chocolates Book Club: 2 p.m., Thursday Sept. 18, Denham Springs-Walker Branch. September selection, “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd. Set in South Carolina in 1964, this book
tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. “The Secret Life of Bees” spent more than two years on The New York Times bestseller list.
ASB Book Club: 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 29, Albany-Springfield Branch. September selection, “I Hope This Finds You Well” by Natalie Sue.
An international bestseller, this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy follows an admin worker who accidentally gains access to her colleagues’ private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job.
Main Branch Book Club: 10:30 a.m., Tues-
day Sept. 30, at the Main Branch. September selection: “The Secrets We Kept” by Lara Prescott. A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice — the real-life story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story
South Branch Bookies: 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25, South Branch. September selection: “The Second Mrs Aster” by Shana Abe. Told in rich detail, this novel takes you inside the scandalous courtship and catastrophic honeymoon aboard the Titanic of the most famous couple of their time — John Jacob Astor and Madeleine Force.
Walker head football coach Chad Mahaffey
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starter at quarterback. The transition will be a little easier thanks to bookend tackles Charlie Ward (6-7, 290) and Migeul D’Angelo (6-6, 310) The line will also include Caden Rushing (6-3, 285) and Rowdy Armstrong (6-4, 275).
Seventh-year Walker coach Chad Mahaffey said the line will be something the Wildcats can build around “The O-line has a lot of experience,” he said last week. “It’s probably the biggest O-line that I’ve ever had as a coach. We’ve got some good players up
there and I think we have some good running backs. Obviously, I hope we’re going to be able to run the ball well.”
The new quarterback will be junior Jayce Evans. Mahaffey said the plan will be to establish a running game first using a trio of running backs — Brashard London, Jayden Wilson and Dylan Breaux.
Defensively, the top returners are linebacker Jeff Caldwell, defensive back Jonathan Musso and end Chris Liddic.
“We’ve got a few pieces coming back on defense,” Mahaffey said. “It’s kind of like a lot of people. You lose a lot of good seniors and some guys that played smaller roles are now in starting roles.”
Walker upset Dutchtown in the first round of the Division I non select playoffs last season, and will be aiming for its fourth consecutive playoff berth.
Prep icon Robin Fambrough retires
A final note on speaking with Mahaffey I caught up with him while both of us attended a retirement celebration for Robin Fambrough, high school sports editor at The Advocate for the past 34 years.
Mahaffey was one of many coaches, media colleagues and former athletes on hand to show appreciation for a journalist known as one of the best advocates for high school sports that Louisiana has seen.
As someone who worked with Fam-
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n Pick up and release: You’ll be contacted on the 15th after surgeries to pick up cats with your trap, release them back where they were captured, then return the trap to the shelter
To participate, you must be a resident of Livingston Parish and over age 18. For more information, call (225) 686-7798.
DOW Red Stick Rumble
The 2025 Dow Red Stick Rumble is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Sept. 13 at Denham Springs High School. The free event will include the robotics team displaying what they’ve learned in class. Women’s conference speakers Journalist Kiran Chawla and motivational speaker Jen Gomez are the main speakers for the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Leadership Conference and Expo. Registration is underway for the event, set for 10:45 a.m. Sept 18 at Abundant Life Outreach Center in Denham Springs. The event brings together women from across the region for a day of connection, inspira-
tion and growth with a variety of vendors showcasing products and services tailored to women. Speakers cover topics like personal development, wellness and leadership. For information, visit tinyurl. com/3tznu7ha.
Chamber plans 30th annual golf tourney
The Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce is planning its 30th annual Golf Outing on Oct. 17 at Carter Plantation in Springfield. Registration is underway for sponsors and teams. Visit https:// business.livingstonparishchamber org/events/details/30th-annual-golf-outing-8609 for information
Farmers market Saturday
Four Seasons Farmers Market opens every Saturday at 116 North Range Ave. in Denham Springs. The event includes fresh produce and crafts items. For information, call (225) 366-7241 or email thefourseasonsfarmersmarket@gmail.com.
Send news and events for Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes to livingston@ theadvocate.com by 4 p.m. Friday or call (225) 388-0731.
brough for more than 25 years, at the risk of sounding biased, I must note that I have never seen anything quite like the conglomeration of people who came out. It even included former coach and current East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards. The number and variety of the attendees was a testament to the wideranging impact Fambrough has had on high school sports in our area. Her presence will be missed dearly, but there is comfort in knowing our loss will be her grandson’s gain.
Charles Salzer covers Livingston sports for the Livingston-Tangipahoa Advocate. To reach Salzer, email livingston@theadvocate.com.
Bestselling author Mari Mancusi to headline Book Festival
Community news report
Bestselling author Mari Mancusi to headline 10th annual Livingston Parish Book Festival. Known for her storytelling and imaginative worldbuilding, Mancusi is the author of more than 30 science fiction/fantasy books in addition to being an Emmy Award-winning former television news producer Mancusi’s bestselling series have been awarded spots on major state reading lists and have been featured selections in Scholastic Book Fairs and clubs. Mancusi’s catalog includes “New Dragon City” and its upcoming prequel “Dawn of the Dragons”; “Dragon Ops” and its sequel “Dragon Ops: Dragons vs. Robots”; “The Once and Future Geek” and “Geeks and the Holy Grail”, both from “The Camelot Code” series; “Princesses, Inc.”; “Gamer Girl”; and “Golden Girl.” Mancusi has also written tiein novels for Disney (such as
Mancusi
“Frozen: Polar Nights, Cast into Darkness”; “Frozen: Dangerous Secrets”; and “Sally’s Lament”) as well as Netflix (“The Official Wednesday Cookbook”).
The Livingston Parish Book Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at the
The Livingston Parish Book Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct 25 at the Main Branch, 20390 Iowa St., Livingston.
Main Branch, 20390 Iowa St., Livingston. Hosted by the Livingston Parish Library the book festival is the library’s biggest single-day event, featuring author discussions, book signings, live music, food, face painting, games, crafts and other family-friendly activities. Visitors are also able to utilize any of the library’s resources. This year’s book festival will feature a Renaissance theme. There is no cost to attend. The library will announce its other featured authors and performers for this year’s Livingston Parish Book Festival in the coming weeks. For more information, follow the Library’s social media pages or visit www mylpl.info/BookFestival.
PHOTO BY PATRICK DENNIS
Mari
