Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason at University to receive an Honorary Doctor of LETTERS degree

01/12/2012. University of Westminster [LON] UK 26/11/2012
metalocus, PEDRO NAVARRO

On Monday 26th, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason was awarded with an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree for his contributions to music by the University of Westminster in London. Mason became a student at the school in 1962, when it was known as Regent Street Polytechnic, and it was there that he first met fellow Floyd members Roger Waters and Richard Wright. The drummer studied architecture at the college but left a year before completing his studies when his band’s career began to take off.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd all members.

Pink Floyd, The Wall.

An Honorary Doctor of Letters degree, no in architecture.

Reflecting on his experience at the school Mason said, “Studying at the Regent Street Polytechnic introduced me to some of the key people and biggest collaborators in my career, many of whom I have been lucky enough to work with over the last 40 years.”

He added, “In essence [Pink Floyd was] formed under the roof of the Polytechnic,” while pointing out that the group practiced in the basement of a common room at the institution and played some of their first gigs at the college. “Not only did studying architecture teach us some useful stuff,” said Mason, “but it also gave us an opportunity to develop and put us in touch with some fantastic mentors and industry contacts that have helped us along the way.”

Founded in 1965, the group originally consisted of university students Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright and Syd Barrett. They first gained popularity performing in London's underground music scene during the late 1960s, and under Barrett's creative leadership they released two charting singles and a successful début album.

Roger Waters and Nick Mason met while they were both studying architecture at the London Polytechnic at Regent Street. They first played music together in a group formed by Keith Noble and Clive Metcalfe with Noble's sister Sheilagh. Fellow architecture student Richard Wright joined later that year and the group became a sextet named Sigma 6, the first band to include Waters, Wright, and Mason.