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Coldplay drummer unveils £5.4m college music building

Jamie Morris & Emily Ford
BBC News
Getty Images Coldplay is performing on stage at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. Will Champion is towards the back playing the drums, to the left is guitarist Johnny Buckland, singer Chris Martin stands in the centre and bass player Guy Berryman is to the right. Getty Images
Will Champion took time out of the Coldplay world tour to visit his former college

Coldplay drummer Will Champion has returned to his former college to unveil a new state-of-the-art music centre.

The Hampshire-born star has helped officially launch the £5.4m Russell Music Centre at Peter Symonds College in Winchester.

He spent time with music students during the grand reveal for the building, which is home to rehearsal studios, recording spaces and professional grade software.

Champion, who grew up in Southampton, took time out of Coldplay's world tour to visit the college and said it was "lovely to be back".

"It's grown enormously since I was here," he said. "At that time, the music provision was good but still quite small.

"Now they have this wonderful new building, which is full of amazing professional grade equipment, just beautifully designed and perfect for young people."

Will Champion stands to the right of the image, he is bald with a short beard and wears a navy blue polo top with grey jeans and beige and white Nike dunk trainers. He is standing in a recording studio with a group of students.
Champion (right) spent time with Peter Symonds College students in the new music facility

The centre has been named in honour of the college principal, Sara Russell.

In a statement, the college explained it was the latest in a series of initiatives to help students gain the kind of experience that sets them apart in an "increasingly competitive field".

Two female students are standing behind a panel of glass in a recording booth. The one standing to teh left wears an NFL football t shirt which is a dark blue with the writing New York in red and the logo of a football helmet on, she has black braided hair tied back in an up-do and black headphones on, with black thick framed glasses and she is standing behind a microphone. The other performer stands to the right, she has long curly brown hair and a pait of black headphones on. She is holding her microphone and wears a strapless black and sequinned top. In the foreground of the picture is a computer screen which shows music editing software.
The Russell Music Centre features a number of industry standard facilities for music students to use

One music student said the new facility was "amazing", adding that she had "never seen anything like it".

Another said: "The difference was noticeable coming in here from our last building.

"It's just so nice to have all this incredible equipment and an incredible foundation to going towards careers in this in the future."

"It's not just about what it provides for people, for students, in terms of confidence and creativity," said Champion.

"It's also about our music culture, it is the envy of the world and it's something we should be taking advantage of.

"I think the more that we can embrace it, the better."

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