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Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith opens new music department in Bedfordshire school

By | Published on Tuesday 13 December 2016

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith took some time out of the band’s UK touring schedule yesterday to open a new music department at a secondary school in Bedfordshire. I know, right?

Arriving by helicopter, Smith officially opened Sandy Upper School’s new Lane & Browns Music Suite, named after its local estate agent sponsor.

“I’m so happy to be able to come down here and be part of this”, he said in a speech. “Music education is very close to my heart. I started playing the drums when I was seven and I learned how to play all through school in a little town outside Detroit, Michigan, not much bigger than this town”.

“There’s something really great about being part of a small community. I had the same upbringing, so I understand how important it is to have music and art in school”, he continued.

“Now you have a really beautiful new music department with lots of instruments, and people are going to help you learn them if you’re interested. I think it’s really important for kids to be exposed to music. I’m not saying that everyone should play in a rock band, but art and music is a really, really important part of education”.

He added: “Some of my favourite musicians and bands have come out of the UK. When I was growing up it was bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, David Bowie and, of course The Beatles and The Stones. These were all magical artists to little old Chad growing up in Michigan and it all came from right around here – so maybe the next one is sitting right in here”.

Closing his speech, before performing a drum solo and officially opening the music department, he thanked his “longtime friends, the Banks family”, including RHCP agent Emma Banks of CAA, and her father Richard, who is Chair of the school governors. So now you can stop wondering how all this happened.

Still, knowing that doesn’t make Chad Smith addressing a school assembly in a small British town seem any less weird. Here’s a video:



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