After School Special
Teaching by day and rocking by night, the Groove Doctors know that music is a lot like life.
Their Instagram bio (@groovedoctors3) says it all: “Not quitting their teaching gigs at the local U, but still swingin’ with some of the sweetest R&B/Jazz/Rock around.”
They’re the Groove Doctors: Michael Lawrence (Professor of Law, Guitar/Vocals), David Stowe (Professor of Religious Studies, Drums) and Glenn Chambers (Professor of History, Interim Dean Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, Bass). The lifelong musicians and longtime friends meet up after class to let loose with their eclectic spin on hits and deep cuts from artists like Prince, Al Green and Stevie Wonder, plus a repertoire of originals they’re recording into an album.
The professors—who play live shows at mid-Michigan breweries, bars, farmers’ markets, festivals and weddings—have found music helpful in honing many life skills: focus, reaction, performance and self-expression. It requires a combination of creativity and discipline that helps people flourish both professionally and personally.
“Music, when you’re performing, totally absorbs your attention,” said Stowe. “There’s a real benefit to that kind of mindfulness.”
And while carrying a tune may not be a prerequisite for most degrees, Lawrence knows the power of music is very present in the classroom and beyond. “Focus, discipline, organization. It’s all required to succeed in law school, and then as a lawyer,” he said.
“Music imitates life in a lot of ways,” added Chambers, leading into a lesson that straddles the line between music and life. “Sometimes you need to fill the space and sometimes it’s better to be silent. You’ve just got to feel the vibe.”
