Graphic design associate professor Paul Dean lives for music — but outside of the classroom.
“I call myself [DJ] Misc. because I like the variety of things,” Dean said.
The North Carolina native learned to mix music 18 years ago and has been doing so at numerous clubs and parties ever since. Dean attributes the universal effects music has on people to why he’s been mixing for so long.
“It’s not just certain people who can walk through an art gallery seeing pictures. Everyone everywhere can enjoy [music],” he said.
With longevity comes change as more DJs converted from records to electronic spinning. Dean slowed down as a DJ as a result of the technological switch and completely stopped after being robbed of his turntables about 10 years ago. He turned to another love of his to keep him busy. He began studying the artwork that covered his music instead.
“I was collecting records from the time I was a teenager, and I still collect records,” he said. “I probably became a graphic designer from enjoying record album covers.”
Homemade-looking album covers from bands like The Sex Pistols intrigued Dean. He said he knew the album covers looked simple but were much more to a trained eye.
Dean said he loved the idea of album cover art so much he agreed to design the debut album cover, “Darker Days,”for long-time friends The Connells, a North Carolina rock and pop band.
Dean noticed historians neglected the history of album cover art when he began teaching the history of graphic de- sign at LSU after his run with The Connells. He decided to weave a few details about album cover art history into his lectures and says he hopes to one day have a class devoted strictly to the subject.
Dean incorporates the history behind album cover art specifically in his color design class. He has students tell the class their most memorable experience with color on the first day of the class because he believes “color is really significant and it affects our emotions, thoughts and impressions.”
Dean remembers his first experience with color as walk- ing home from elementary school and seeing red flames from the Earth’s crust breaking open. It turned out to be a shattered glass ball reflecting in the sunlight.
Dean said he carries his classes and life like an album cover, full of expression, right down to the Hawaiian shirts he wears every day.
“I could never wear a suit and tie,” he said. “I’m from the generation that eliminated the tie.”
He recently started mixing again for friends and plans to frequent a few bars downtown.
TOP 5 SONGS
“96 tears” – ? and the Mysterians (1966) 
“1969” – The Stooges (1969) 
“Do It again” – Steely Dan (1972) 
“Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” – The Dramatics (1971) 
“Out of the Blue” – Roxy Music (1974)
“Tomorrow Never Knows” – The Beatles (1966)
TOP 5 ALBUMS 
The Beatles – Revolver
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
Roxy Music – Country Life
Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols 
The clash – London Calling