Music Blogs

ONE IN FIVE WISH THEY WERE MUSICIANS
A new poll, commissioned by O2, has found that one in five of us wish we could give up our day jobs and become a rock star. Only one in five? A quarter of those asked said that The Beatles would be their ideal band to join, given the choice of any throughout history. Builders were the most likely to say that they'd rather be strumming a guitar, while doctors came in a close second.

And if you're sitting there thinking that this is a bit of a pointless survey (I know I was), there are some useful insights on the promotion of music industry jobs to youngster. Around 75 percent of those polled said that they had not been encouraged by their parents or school to pursue music as a career and around 50 percent said that there was not enough information provided by schools about careers in the music industry. I can vouch for that, when I told my careers adviser that I wanted to be a rock star (and those were the words I used), she advised me to think about a job in a bank.

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MUSIC FUCKS YOU UP, STUDY FINDS
Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have written so many metal-based stories last week. According to mental health journal Australasian Psychiatry, teenagers who listen to music in that particular genre are more prone to depression, suicide, delinquency and drug abuse. And, along with rap fans, they're likely to have unprotected sex and drink drive, too.

The study of Australian students in year ten of school also found that teens who listen to pop music are more likely to struggle with their sexuality, fans of trance, techno, metal (there's that one again) and goth are more likely to self-harm and commit suicide, those who attend dance parties are more likely to take drugs. Some forms of rap, particularly French rap, were linked to theft, violence and drug use, but kids who listen to hip hop are usually quite well-behaved.

The study recommends that doctors should ask teenage patients about their musical preferences to determine if they are at risk of developing a mental illness or committing suicide.

Author of the study, Dr Felicity Baker told The Sydney Morning Herald: "There is no evidence to suggest that the type of music you listen to will cause you to commit suicide, but those who are vulnerable and at risk of committing suicide may be listening to certain types of music".

More sensibly perhaps, child psychiatrist and the head of medical programs at the NSW Institute of Psychiatry, Michael Bowden added: "The key to understanding any teenager is to treat them with respect by listening to what they have to say, rather than typecasting them according to the type of music they listen to".

- Taken from today's CMU Daily, www.cmudaily.co.uk