Coldplay's Chris Martin Studying Classical Music

[nicko124]

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4962608.stm

See the link. I'm not really sure whether to be happy or sad reading it. I like Chris Martin and Coldplay, I think they are a pretty good group: lots of interesting songs.

I got a bit wound up with Chris's quote of ''When I'm 40, too old to be a rock star''.

I could be reading too much into this, but this implies to me that there is a certain age that you go for classical music. I beleive this to be quite wrong.

I think it's a great benefit to discover the beauties of classical music when young. I don't like to see Rock/Pop as music for young people and classical for when you reach a certain maturity.

[Jacey1973]

Yes, good point. I completely agree...but try telling this to the majority of today's youth....*sigh*

[6ft 4]

The thing is, u can listen to classical music and indeed play it at any age pretty much. U cant do sport, have sex, get drunk, rock around moshing or similar crazy sh*t when u get old. so i figure it seems a good idea to "prolong" classical music interest to an extent

[Tash]

unless you're part of the rolling stones...

[mariocast]

At least he's bringing about an awareness of the value of studying Classical music.  Hopefully that will carry over into his group's followers.

[rc]

Bah! Age don't matter, it's a cultural thing. Liszt was the rockstar of his day... You're either into it enough to learn it or you aren't. You can play classical music and still do all the crazy young-stuff, believe me. Your friends just won't be interested in going to the same concerts

If Chris Martin has a genuine interest in classical music, I doubt he'll be able to wait 'till 40 before he starts dabbling.

[prometheus]

Haha what a non-sense argument this guy gives.

Isn't classical music already more popular that Coldplay? Also, isn't everyone already aware of classical music? It's not that the people that do not listen classical music are not aware of its existance.

[mariocast]

Haha what a non-sense argument this guy gives.

Isn't classical music already more popular that Coldplay? Also, isn't everyone already aware of classical music? It's not that the people that do not listen classical music are not aware of its existance.

I didn't say that it brought awareness of classical music's existEnce.  I said that he can bring about an awareness of the VALUE of studying classical music.  So if you've never taught music to young students, then you don't realize that classical music is fighting a losing battle to other genres.  Part of the problem is that many so-called classical music devotees have this mightier-than-thou snobby attitude towards other music genres that it turns off this younger generation of music listeners from going to these concerts.

As a music educator, I refuse to take up this elitist attitude.  I have found that when I illustrate a certain amount of respect for the popular music that my students listen to, the young students reciprocate that respect back to the classical music that I present to them.