Abysmal article in the Irish times on the subject of metal education.

[Lezard]

I don't even have the energy to summarise this. I'll just say that It takes a potentially intresting question on the value of music education and turns it into what looks like a string text from the youtube comments section....
Then attempts to backpedal after the inevitible backlash.

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/we-don-t-need-no-high-cost-high-brow-heavy-metal-education-1.1394624

[gwEm]

Well, I had a look ;)

If the article is intended to be jokey, then it's terribly written.

What's interesting is the bias and prejudice against metal that's being perpetuated there.

[Philly Q]

It's a very poorly written, ill-informed article.  Worse than that, it completely fails to be clever or witty.  Trying to satirise something you don't know anything about is a bad idea.

Having said that, I also think doing a degree in heavy metal is a supremely pointless exercise.  But hey, you have to pay for higher education nowadays, so if that's what you want to do, fill your boots.

[Elliot]

'that Helsinki University academic treatise, Characteristics of Heavy Metal Chord Structures – Their Acoustic and Modal Construction , is about as interesting as a 10-minute metal drum solo.'

Has this person ever read an academic treatise of any type?  Most people would grasp for Moby Dick than put themselves through that experience  :lol:

[blue]

On behalf of the people of Ireland, I apologise.  Needless to say, this man will be put in stocks and pelted with Girls Aloud CDs at an upcoming Metal gig.

[HTH AMPS]

Even worse than the article is the fact that he doesn't have the courage of his convictions to stand by his opinions once people started handing him his arse back. 

[dave_mc]

Having said that, I also think doing a degree in heavy metal is a supremely pointless exercise.  But hey, you have to pay for higher education nowadays, so if that's what you want to do, fill your boots.

to be fair, university education is still free (or "free-ish") down south, as far as i'm aware. EDIT: my mistake, as i said, I hadn't read it yet :oops: they were talking about a course in England.

haven't got as far as reading the article yet, will do so later after dinner :lol:

EDIT: just read it. Wow.  :?

[JDC]

Still more useful than media studies

[JJretroTONEGOD]

very very badly written and the guy obviously hates metal, I literally had to stop reading the bigots opinions about 2 paragraphs in.

[Alex]

Stupid article.

Then again, degree in "heavy metal" is probably as useful on the job market as a degree in English drama & literature, humanities or anything to do with physical education (i.e. a waste of time and money).

[Elliot]

Stupid article.

Then again, degree in "heavy metal" is probably as useful on the job market as a degree in English drama & literature, humanities or anything to do with physical education (i.e. a waste of time and money).

That sounds almost as ignorant as the original article!

[JJretroTONEGOD]

Stupid article.

Then again, degree in "heavy metal" is probably as useful on the job market as a degree in English drama & literature, humanities or anything to do with physical education (i.e. a waste of time and money).

That sounds almost as ignorant as the original article!

+1

[blue]

A degree in Heavy Metal may seem a bit silly, certainly on the face of it.  But education and study for the sake of knowledge is vitally important.  Its what makes us human.  One of the things i really dislike about the world is how many people think that nothing is worth doing unless it leads to money

Which, by the way, I don't mean to be accusing Roo of!  Maybe he does feel that, to an extent, but the guy plays guitar in a hardcore metal band!  not the most commercial of moves :)

[dave_mc]

A degree in Heavy Metal may seem a bit silly, certainly on the face of it.  But education and study for the sake of knowledge is vitally important.  Its what makes us human.  One of the things i really dislike about the world is how many people think that nothing is worth doing unless it leads to money

+1

[Philly Q]

A degree in Heavy Metal may seem a bit silly, certainly on the face of it.  But education and study for the sake of knowledge is vitally important.  Its what makes us human.  One of the things i really dislike about the world is how many people think that nothing is worth doing unless it leads to money

I agree totally, but I don't see Heavy Metal as something that needs to be studied in any kind of formal way.  You can learn all you want/need to know in your "spare time", as a hobby.  It doesn't need anyone else to teach you.  And I think if you actually start deconstructing the music, finding the underlying formulas or whatever you want to call them, you take away the magic.

I feel exactly the same way about Creative Writing and Film Studies - to me they're things you shouldn't study, you should just do them.  Go with what feels right.

That's very much a personal opinion, fine if you think I'm talking nonsense.