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Why Chris Botti isn’t a fan of YouTube

Chris Botti's performances may be found on YouTube, but the renowned trumpeter, who performs tonight at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila, has a different view of young musicians or singers using the Internet.

"When you go to the Internet, it gives an illusion to young persons that they are close [to] being pop stars," said Chris.

He thinks that the rise of so-called YouTube sensations, whose standard for "making it" is measured in hits and shares, has stunted the pursuit of craft.

'This generation is in trouble'

"I think this generation is in real, real trouble. And the reason is that they lack the appetite for discipline and repetition, and isolation. Isolation, meaning if you're going to be a great golfer like Tiger Woods, you have to go out there and swing that golf club over and over and over again," Chris pointed out.

He added that because of the Internet, kids think that "stardom" will happen overnight.

"It doesn't happen overnight," he remarked. "And [young people] lose out on the real meat of music and that is giving yourself and dedicating yourself to something that means something."

The challenges of a speeded-up world

He also stressed that if a kid is playing Guitar Hero, it is just another version of a video game. It is not a guitar and it doesn't have anything to do with guitar playing.

"I think kids nowadays are up against [a lot of] stuff, with the job opportunities around there, with the economies in different countries and now this and everything is sped-up so much that they lose sight of sitting on a piano, playing the trumpet and playing the cello," he stressed.

There's a direct link between the musician's concerns about young people and the challenges they face and his concerts. Chris revealed that in every single show he does in any country, city or event, there would always be a beneficiary and usually they would be young people.

For the benefit of young musicians

In his show tonight at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at the Resorts World Manila in Newport City, the beneficiary is the YMDO or Young Musicians Development Organization, a non-profit that gives underprivileged youth a chance to advance their musical talent and provides extensive avenues to hone their skills in public performances. He met them June 18 at Resorts World Manila.

Chris is the largest-selling American jazz instrumental artist today. He has performed on stage with Sting, Paul Simon, Steven Tyler, Yo Yo Ma, John Mayer, Michael Buble and Josh Groban. He has also collaborated with legends such as Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Mark Knopfler, Andrea Bocelli, Herbie Hancock, David Foster and Natalie Cole.

He has been nominated for the Grammy five times and has sold over three million albums to date, from his groundbreaking 1995 debut album "First Wish" to his latest anthology "Impressions" under Sony Music.