What hides under the cover of the suit-wearing lecturer standing before your morning business class?
Does this look like your average Western lecturer? Andrew Hines, lead singer of London rock band The UnderCovers, ‘daylights’ as a business teacher in the Richard Ivey School of Business.
The same man you will later see performing your favourite songs down at the club, The Barking Frog.
University of Western Ontario lecturer Andrew Hines is a business teacher by day and a rock star by night.
Hines, 23, is the lead singer and guitarist for local band, The UnderCovers. As a Richard Ivey School of Business graduate, Hines utilizes his degree by lecturing first-year business students. However, teaching is not in his long-term career plan.
“My contract is over at the end of this year. I love teaching, but ultimately I want to go out and do something on my own and see where it takes me. Maybe I’ll come back to teaching in the long run.”
Hoping his career journey will lead to a job that allows him to make music more than just a pass-the-time passion, Hines says, “I want to be in the music industry, or at least around it… I’m on YouTube every moment I get, looking up new bands. I just find the whole scene so interesting.”
For now, Hines combines his passion for music with his love for teaching by beginning each lecture with songs from his favourite artists, many of whom appear on the band’s set-list. The band plays mainly covers, including rock, rock alternative, and classic rock. The set list includes Green Day, Blur, Our Lady Peace, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Foo Fighters, The Tragically Hip, Stone Temple Pilots, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Kings Of Leon, Lynrd Skynrd, Van Morrison, Oasis, Incubus, blink-182, Wild Cherry, Jimmy Eat World, andSublime.
When the band began playing they only played covers and that’s how they got their name – The UnderCovers.
“We thought it was clever at the time, and suggested that there was something ‘under the covers’ of The UnderCovers,” says Hines. But now that the band has progressed they have begun to write their own songs. They have one original track and hope to write many more.
Passion isn’t enough to be successful in the music industry – you need time, dedication, and practice. While members of The UnderCovers are dedicated to their music, time remains a challenge.
“It’s very stressful at times because each band member runs on different schedules, so finding a time to practice together can be very difficult. [That being said], it is enjoyable, and we have gone through many things to get where we are,” says Hines when asked about the current challenges his band faces.
In the meantime, Hines balances the challenges in his own life, trying to balance both lecturing and music. Although lecturing may not be part of his immediate future, it’s still something he enjoys very much. He loves teaching, especially in a university setting where he basically “gets to walk into class and have a conversation” with the students. Teaching allows Hines to meet interesting people and also make an impact on a student’s life.
Hines isn’t the only member of The UnderCovers to grace the halls of Western. In fact, fellow band members Barry Minty, 23, bass; Mike Doyle, 25, guitar; and Rob Berlingieri, 23, guitar are all graduates. The band has been playing together for five years, with the exception of Doyle, who joined the band three years in. They play Friday and Sunday nights at The Barking Frog on Richmond Street.
Being a professor and a musician can be a challenge but Hines has mastered the juggling act.
“It’s a daily struggle trying to balance teaching and having a personal life. I’m proud of the fact that I can now do both, whereas before I found it nearly impossible.”
The writer is an undergraduate student in psychology.