Elton John gives shoutout to Royal Academy student

Elton John gives shoutout to Royal Academy student

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norman lebrecht

June 11, 2020

Roberts Balanas, a Baltic student in Marylebone, has come somehow to the great man’s attention:

 

Comments

  • Player says:

    Great! Love it!

  • Leganza says:

    Sir Elton John was a student at the RAM (as a junior from the age of 11) for a number of years.

    He has long had an interest in the RAM – there is a Scholarship fund in his name at the RAM, and he apparently takes some active interest in the students awarded these scholarships.

    If I’m not mistaken, he has an honorary award from the RAM? Honorary Doctorate or something? I might be wrong about that.

    Anyway, his association with the RAM is of little surprise.

  • Cynical Bystander says:

    Elton John, whatever else we might think about his music uses his wealth to support many good and serious causes. The snide and acid tone of your comment is misplaced. His music may not be great but he is doing more than many other of the ‘great and the good’ presumably seen as more worthy than him around the world to support others who are seen as unworthy of their attention.

  • jay says:

    A new low in the violin world

  • Paul Brownsey says:

    Why the “somehow”? Do you think he’s pretty young man?

    • V.Lind says:

      It’s explicitly stated in EJ’s post how the violinist came to his attention. There’s nothing “somehow” about it.

      • I agree. That was why I was drawing attention to NL’s “somehow” and asking what might lie behind it.

        • Paul Brownsey says:

          My agreement was with V. Lind, not, as it may wrongly appear, with Bruce and his nasty use of the N-word for Elton John (at least, I think it was for EJ, though his sentence could be read otherwise).

          • Bruce says:

            N-word? I don’t know what you mean.*

            Anyway, I was criticizing NL’s insinuation that something sleazy must be going on for an old gay musician to take an interest in anything a young musician does. (Again the “somehow” when it’s clear that the guy sent him the video)

            * (unless you mean “poof,” by which I meant the way some people, particularly older ones, see gay men. That starts with a P though.)

          • Paul Brownsey says:

            Yes, but it is the gay equivalent of the N-word. I was using it as a figure of speech.

          • Bruce says:

            Ah. I probably should have used quote marks; that might have kept my comment from being deleted. Hopefully my explanation of how I used it was helpful.

  • Dave says:

    You need to give credit where credit is due. Elton John supports the arts with his cash. Some of these musicians and celebrities flood the internet giving their views on every subject but not a penny is forthcoming.

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