Meet a teacher - David Myhr
The teacher David Myhr has played the role of Paul McCartney in the live version of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. He has also been a member of The Merrymakers who achieved great success especially in Japan. His greatest moment in his career is when he appeared in the role of Benny Andersson in a big ABBA show in front of a sold out Hollywood Bowl.
Hello there, who are you?
– I am a senior lecturer at the School of Music in Piteå and Campus Borlänge, I'm an artist, songwriter, music producer, musician, jingle writers, musicians cover. I have been a music publisher in my days. I am passionate about pop music in general and the Beatles in particular, as anyone who knows me already experienced when I manage to find a connection to the Beatles in every discussion.
In what courses students meet you?
– I teach mainly in songwriting, music production and industry knowledge. On our Master's Programme, Rock Musician or Music Produktion in Pop / Rock, have the opportunity to meet me in the context of any subject that touches the areas I mentioned in the first question.
How are you as a teacher?
– I try to be encouraging, supporting, undramatical, playful, responsive, flexible, relaxed and humorous. I feel tremendously eager to try to resolve the knots and help the students to get where they want. It is also bedoming increasingly clear to me how you never become perfected. You continue to learn throughout life. Students today are at such a high level and knows best what they want and I see myself more as a mentor and try to help people to help themselves rather than being someone who has all the answers.
Why is it so fun to teach?
– Because I get the chance to remain in the world that I love. Just like when I was 22 now some ... well, quite a few years later together with the students with the same curiosity are constantly at music creation center and trying to find the perfect pop song, the ultimate sound and to reflect on the eternal ten thousand dollar question how the hell you can get ahead in an industry where no career path is the same. It is a privilege.
What do you want the students to get from your courses?
– That it is easy and fun to write songs and each song you write does not have to be your life's song. Rather, it is a craft you get better at the more you're practise it. Then I try to share as much as possible of what I learned about the industry while I try to make students realize that it is they themselves who will be "the industry" in a few years. If you work really hard during the study years both to sharpen your tools but also by being a good person who both control your own projects and always deliver beyond expectations to others. Then you have a lot to build on for the first bewildered years after the study. I try to be a living example of such a person. I am also open as a book about my own artistic path in the hope that students will gain with that if you work hard for their dreams and follow your musical heart to be happy in the soul, both in career-related ups and downs.
Why study music at Luleå University of Technology?
– When studying at the university you have access to amazing resources in terms of equipment and facilities. You have also the "privilege" of not having so much else around that attracts your attention than to really devote yourself to the thing you are passionate about. There are incredible opportunities to carry out your life's musical dream projects with both teachers and students. Our activities in jazz and rock is also characterized more and more by letting the students' own musical specializations control. We do not believe in trying to cast all in the same form. In pop and rock music, it is of utmost importance to develop their own individual character to have a chance at a career in music.
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