Elvis watches Diana become a Doctor (Hon.)

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 1:49 am

http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id ... C65C433C39

NEWS STORY
Krall granted honourary PhD from UVic

canada.com

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

It's been a good year for Diana Krall. The jazz musician from Nanaimo has received the Order of B.C. and become engaged to music legend Elvis Costello.

Wednesday she got another feather in her cap when she was granted an honourary doctorate in fine arts from the University of Victoria.

Krall chose to make a musical address instead of delivering a formal speech. She performed Gravy Waltz, a piece written by one of her best-loved teachers, Ray Brown of the Oscar Peterson Trio. She also performed for the first time a song she wrote about Vancouver Island.

Krall told the graduates she is a life-long learner.

"I'm still learning. I'm still going to school, finding different mentors as they move along by you," Krall said. "I'd like to thank everybody. This means a lot to me."

Accolades are nothing new for Krall. She has won Grammy and Juno awards and performed with some of the most celebrated artists in both jazz and pop music.

Costello was in the audience to watch his fiance accept her honourary degree. Krall's father and sister were also in attendance.

"It's a wonderful honour," Costello said. "As her mother had a degree from this university, it's special to her."

© Copyright 2003 CH TV

Misha · Post by **Misha** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 2:13 am

Hey, very cool for her. Glad to see EC went for the presentation. It's extremely cool that she has the degree from the same school as her mom.

Still, kinda pompous to play your own music in stead of talking, isn't it? Don't get me wrong, as I really like Diana's music, but.......it's not as "Thank you for this great honor" as it is "Hey, listen to me play the music I'm famous for."

Hmmm, what is the right thing here, being as she is a musician? Oh, I know, she should have given us Elvis for our very own to take home....

I have no idea how that ties in, but it's makin me happy thinkin about it.

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:26 am

Maybe it`s time for Elvis to cover this Graham Parker tune (from his Howling Wind album)

Lady Doctor

I've got a lady doctor She cure da pain for free
I've got a lady doctor Oh there ain't nothing wrong with me.
I went in with a heart burn into the surgery
To my surprise two pretty eyes was running up and down me.
Said now be a patient patient stretch right out on that couch
Help yourself to the pills cure your ills
I'm never gonna square it on out.

Well all the cats said go see her it's only just down the road
You go in with pneumonia come out with just a heavy cold
She won't give you no jargon no medical how-do-you-do
Well just get right down under that stethoscope
Baby let that lady mess on with you.

Ain't nothing wrong with
Ain't nothing wrong with me

Ooh ooh ooh ooh lady doctor yeah.

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:29 am

If there's one thing I hate it's honorary doctorates. Normal people spend years of hard work and money to gain a title like doctor. Meanwhile these days it seems all you have to do is be a high school dropout to get an honorary degree from some university.

The worst is when they start referring to themselves as doctors.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sat Nov 15, 2003 8:51 am

Sometimes the hon. doc. is warranted though, when someone has made an outstanding contribution to a field but may not have studied to get where they are, but know just as much as any academics in the field. I think that EC should get some kind of hon. doctorate actually, outstanding contribution to music...Liverpool gave bloody Gerard Houllier one for winning a few football games...so why not EC?

Watching_Detectives · Post by **Watching_Detectives** » Sat Nov 15, 2003 1:50 pm

I think that's kinda cool...if I see "Dr. Diana Krall" on her next album, I'll shoot somebody...but it's cool...

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Sat Nov 15, 2003 2:43 pm

I think it's kind of silly.

You know, if they gave one to someone in the industry who had truly contributed a significant amount, it would be different. She's not exactly a major pioneer in jazz, at least not yet.

I don't think the honorary doctorates should be given unless someone has given at least as much of themselves as someone who had gone through a degree program. It's a difficult process and takes much personal sacrifice to complete.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Sat Nov 15, 2003 4:08 pm

At my commencement for my Masters in History, our keynote address was delivered by the creator of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. It's a show on Nickelodeon, and there was an Oscar-nominated film as well. This gentlemen (whose name escapes me) had attended my school But he had dropped out to pursue a televion job that eventually turned into the mini-multimedia empire he now has. He was awarded an honorary degree (not doctorate--just degree). And I think it's entirely appropriate in that context. But just to hand out a doctorate to some celebrity who may or may not even be in that field so that they'll speak at your school seems insulting to the students who actually worked for their degrees.

Goody2Shoes · Post by **Goody2Shoes** » Sat Nov 15, 2003 5:50 pm

A degree you earned yourself would help you get a job or attain certain goals.

An honorary degree of any kind wouldn't carry the same kind of weight, and would certainly never be used by any honest person in an attempt to gain employment. In fact, it probably would never need to be used in that capacity, as the person to whom it is awarded has already garnered a certain reputation for a body of work.

I think that in most cases, people who are awarded honorary degrees have given greatly of themselves, though not necessarily in the academic sense.

I'm not defending her, but I personally don't have a problem with the practice. I don't think it cheapens the degrees of people who have taken the more traditional route.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Sat Nov 15, 2003 10:33 pm

LaughingCrow - it's only a matter of time before Elvis gets an Hon. degree or doctorate. If John Peel has got one then why not EC? Gerard Houllier was a teacher in the city for years before becoming a football manager, so maybe it had something to do with that?

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sun Nov 16, 2003 8:34 am

I agree with the ever-wise G2S. Honorary degress can be a great thing, a way for academic institutions to recognize that there are forms of serious accomplishment and endeavor that are as worthy of their imprimateur as the ones that are pursued in their hallowed halls. (My god what's gotten into my writing this morning? Too many bowls of my son's Honeycomb cereal...) For instance, no serious educational researcher thinks less of some schmoe's Ed.D. just because Bill Cosby has one, too.

I do think they're best used for non-academic folk, however. My former boss, whose 'real' PhD is from Hah-vahd, has about 30 honorary ones, and he's as proud of those as of his other various honors, including his MacArthur 'genius' award. He got those honorary degrees ostensibly because of his non-academic contributions (don't wanna get into specifics) but still, what's the point? Or perhaps it's just sour grapes on my part...

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sun Nov 16, 2003 11:43 am

I hope he does get one soon PoP...but I think Hou getting one, as most of the celeb hon degrees are, was mostly about publicity for Liverpool Uni. As an alumni of that fabled institution, I can say from experience there's a lot of self-promotion there.

scielle · Post by **scielle** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:55 pm

Here's a pic of EC and Diana's dad at the ceremony, along with the following from the photographer:

He's a really nice guy. Couldn't believe it when he showed up.
After I gooned Diana and him in the hallway I had a chance to apologize to him after. He shook my hand and said 'No problem mate".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrenstone/354217448/

There's also a nice one of Diana and Elvis on pg.34 of this UVic alumni magazine:
http://torch.uvic.ca/torch2004s/torch_2004S.pdf