Rate My Professor Ian Chapman

Dr. Ian Chapman is a Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music in the School of Performing Arts, Division of Humanities, at the University of Otago, where he joined the staff in 2002 and now holds an honorary position. He earned his PhD in 2012, MA in 2005 with the thesis 'David Bowie: Life is a Cabaret,' and MusB, all from the University of Otago. His doctoral research focused on an iconographical study of David Bowie's album covers from 1967 to 1980. Chapman's academic specializations encompass performance, song-writing, music iconography, and performing arts studies, with key interests in glam rock, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, and the visual and performative aspects of popular music.

A professional musician since 1981, Chapman has performed as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist with notable artists including Billy T. James and Rob Guest. He continues performing under personas such as Dr. Glam, Mr. Glad, Thaddius Grime, and with the Cosmic Jive Trio. At Otago, he co-coordinated Contemporary Music Performance, headed the Performing Arts Programme, and championed the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Performing Arts degree integrating music, theatre, and dance. He has mentored successful alumni, including award-winning singer-songwriter Kylie Price, performer and lecturer Hollie Longman-Fleck, and musicians Oli Wilson of The Chills and David Harrison. Chapman's scholarly output includes authored books such as Alastair Riddell’s Space Waltz (Bloomsbury, 2023), Okay, Boomer: New Zealand in the Swinging Sixties (Bateman, 2020), Experiencing Alice Cooper: A Listener's Companion (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), and David Bowie FAQ (Hal Leonard, 2018); he co-edited Global Glam and Popular Music: Style and Spectacle from the 1970s to the 2000s (Routledge, 2016). His publications have received 217 citations on Google Scholar. Chapman has presented keynotes, including on the Dunedin Sound at the NZATE Conference (2024), and conducted extensive public performances and lectures, such as the nationwide tour Dr. Ian Chapman & the Cosmic Jive Trio: David Bowie and the Art of Being Different across multiple New Zealand venues in 2021.