Sting says his past as a teacher helps him avoid having to take selfies with people.
The 65-year-old musician worked as an educator for two years before finding fame with his band The Police and he uses tricks he picked up whilst working in a school to look stern to avoid photos with fans when he’s walking around New York, the city where he lives.
During a recent interview on new Italian TV show ‘Stasera Casa Mika’ – hosted by pop star Mika on Rai 2 – Sting revealed what attention he gets in The Big Apple, saying: "I walk in a certain pace and people respect my privacy. They say, ‘Hi Sting, I like your music,’ or ‘You suck!’ New York is very cool, so I feel very comfortable living there. I’d rather have a conversation than have a selfie."
Mika then enquired how he avoids having to stop for selfies all the time, prompting Sting to share his teacher act.
The rocker explained: "I walk fast, and also I have the demeanour of a school teacher. Because I was a school teacher. That means you walk with a very straight back and you know exactly where you are going."
Sting – who is married to Trudie Styler – also revealed that his new album ’57th & 9th’ was directly named after a street he would cross every day when walking to the studio to record the songs for the LP.
He said: "’57th and 9th’ is a street I would cross every day when I walked from my house to the studio in Hell’s Kitchen. I thought of song ideas as I walked to the studio and every day I had to stop there because the traffic is very busy and I would meditate just for a few minutes about my work, about living in New York and how fortunate I am."
Sting reveals tips to avoid selfies
