Tour:Smart Bus Edition – Martin Atkins, Millikin University Offer The Ultimate Hands-On Experience

Musician, teacher, author and industry provocateur Martin Atkins has partnered with Millikin University for his most audacious project yet – Tour:Smart Bus Edition which embeds real live students on a real live rock tour.

The program takes them on the road with Atkins' band for five days of non-stop learning. "Think of it as a study abroad, but instead of living in another country, you’re on a tour, working and learning with the band Pigface (described as an “industrial supergroup” with a constantly changing lineup)," reads the course's pitch, "So, nevermind study abroad – this is another planet!"

Martin Atkins knows the reality of the subject he teaches.

A member of Public Image Ltd and Killing Joke, Atkins also founded industrial supergroup Pigface, The Damage Manual, and Murder Inc., and has contributed to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. He is the owner of Invisible Records and Mattress Factory Recording Studios (est. 1988), the author of three books including Tour:Smart, a syndicated blogger, and the Coordinator of the Music Business Program at Millikin University.

“Sixteen years ago during my first touring class at Columbia College Chicago, I had my students come to a show and smell the Pigface road crew'" said Atkins in a recent interview. "Now I’m putting the class on a bus and taking them on tour! I wrote the book on touring, and now we’re going to write the book on whatever this is.” 

Tour partner, Millikin University, is a 110-year-old university that has operated under the philosophy of providing an education that combines theory with practice with its signature focus on what they call Performance Learning. So, Tour:Smart Bus Edition is a 3 credit course open to anyone.

More info on the next semester of Tour Bus: Smart Edition here.