Damon Albarn “Music is part of our national health"

20 November 2018, 00:30 | Updated: 20 November 2018, 00:31

The Blur man feels that music is “becoming marginalised with every generation”.

Damon Albarn thinks that the UK’s attitude towards music - particularly in schools - is becoming more and more marginalised, claiming: “Music is part of our national health.”

Speaking to Radio X’s John Kennedy on the subject of his project The Good The Bad And The Queen and their second album, Merrie Land, the musician mused on the subject of teaching music in schools.

Commenting on how every school taught the recorder (an instrument that features on Merrie land, played by Albarn and legendary producer Tony Visconti), the Blur singer said:

“One of the many, many things that socially seems to be approached the wrong way is our attitude to music and education. Now it seems to be becoming more marginalised with every successive generation.

“You have these eminent surgeons complaining that the new generation of students don't have the dexterity with their hands that previous generations had. And that's a direct result of things being left out [of the school curriculum] because they're not considered important anymore.

“I don't know if anyone else agrees with me but I know I think music is part of our national health.”

The new Good The Band And The Queen album features Albarn, former Clash bassist Paul Simonon, The Verve’s Simon Tong and drummer Tony Allen. Merrie Land is out now.