STRIKING THE RIGHT CHORD MSU instructor’s melodic approach to meteorology

By Callie Simonton

He may not be singing in the rain, but this meteorologist is singing a new tune when it comes to educating students about the weather.

Bob Swanson, an instructor in the Mississippi State Department of Physics and Astronomy, says his own form of “edu-tainment” brings him joy as he plays his piano accordion for audiences and regales them with his original melodic meteorology and physical science lessons.

“I explain the science (Boyle’s Law and resonating reeds) behind how the instrument works,” Swanson said. “That’s not something an average Mississippi kid sees every day and not something they’ll soon forget. If I can get kids excited about science and music at the same time, I count that as successful community connection.”

Swanson says his singing-weatherman personality, Stormin’ Bob Swanson –The Singing Weatherman, originally grew out of necessity more than 20 years ago, when he was a young meteorologist.

“Back then, it was a matter of survival. Station meteorologists were expected to do station outreach by visiting classrooms when requested, and I had little or no background in teaching pre-K or elementary-age students. Writing songs about the weather seemed to be the best way to make my presentations more engaging.”

Since debuting the character, Swanson’s lessons have grown in popularity and he has added new material to his repertoire.

“The rest is, as they say, history. I’ve gone on to write more songs, broaden my scope, develop more demonstrations, increase audience interaction/ participation, add more instruments— guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin, piano accordion, and involve my family members as part of the show.”

Swanson’s family has traveled with him in his summer “edu-tainment” tours since 2018, visiting libraries across Mississippi from Horn Lake to Waynesboro, and Pass Christian to Vicksburg. Following his summer 2023 tour, his eldest son, Dan, put together a documentary titled “Head in the Clouds—The Ballad of Stormin’ Bob Swanson,” available on YouTube.

Community Market. He also helps coordinate the Discovery Street field trip every year, to help expose StarkvilleOktibbeha County School District students to various science concepts.

“As a first-generation college graduate myself, I know that college can be an abstract concept for a lot of kids,” Swanson said. “Providing opportunities for students to come to campus and be exposed to the exciting and innovative teaching and research going on here is a fantastic recruiting opportunity.”

Swanson wants that opportunity to plant a seed for curiosity in science and weather in the minds of his audiences.

“Because I have benefitted so much, it is my pleasure to give back when and where I can. In my case, I have the niche ability to teach science concepts, mainly weather and astronomy topics, in a way that is fun and entertaining.”

Swanson has performed as his singing weatherman persona at the “Science Night at the Museums” on MSU’s campus, as well as in the Starkville-Oktibbeha community through the county libraries’ summer reading programs and at the Starkville

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“Once you get in the habit of looking up, you can’t help but become more curious. Physics winds up being the tool that helps answer the questions that your curiosity uncovers.”

Swanson’s guitar has a quote on it referencing two of his folk heroes, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, also who had slogans on their instruments. It reads, “This machine surrounds certainty and forces it to think again.”

“While my content area is physical science and astronomy, sharing critical thinking skills with my students is a priority in my teaching. These young adults are entering into a world where it is tough to separate fact from opinion. It can also be so psychologically tempting to be unwavering in one’s beliefs. To my mind, every day should be an opportunity to scrutinize something that I would never have had reason to previously question.” u

Callie Simonton is a December 2024 graduate from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a concentration in broadcast journalism. Callie is from Suwanee, Georgia, and worked as a communication student worker for the College of Arts and Sciences since January 2022. Following her graduation, she accepted a job as a news producer at WTVC-TV News Channel 9 in Chattanooga.

“Stormin’ Bob” Swanson, MSU Physics and Astronomy instructor, brings science to life with music, blending meteorology and melody to inspire the next generation of curious minds.