Chili's Flea to study music at University

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has signed up to study at the University of Southern California.

The musician said he decided to attend the music classes to develop his knowledge of "the math and academics" of musical structure.

He told the Los Angeles Times: "I'm glad my music education has developed the way that it has, but it's so much fun to learn this stuff because I never knew anything.

"I played trumpet in the school bands. I learned things I liked to play on my trumpet but I didn't learn why this note goes with this note and why it produces that sound. Or how to create tension in the composition.

"The Chili Peppers did that in our song structures but all based on emotion and intuition, as opposed to knowing the math and academics of it. Knowing the structure is really fun."

Speaking about his band's decision to go on hiatus, he commented: "We had our noses to the grindstones so hard for so long. We needed to get away from it and get a fresh perspective on things."