David Barker has been a Wellington resident since 2016 and NZ citizen since 2022, having moved from Australia “for the weather”. He is not a medical doctor but does have a Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Newcastle. Music has been a lifelong passion, from the pop music of his childhood to a love of classical music which began in his 30s.
Presentation Topic: A survey of musicians across the centuries and genres who died at a young age from natural causes. The three shown above – Wolfgang Mozart, Karen Carpenter and Charlie Parker – all died in their thirties. The emphasis will be on their causes of death (from a layperson’s perspective) and looking at the myths surrounding some of their deaths. For each, there will be a short sample of their music.