Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2015

Experiences in music with children and youngsters


Music can travel with you and you will not realize with whom you are with.


Some traditional music from Africa is very difficult to understand. Specially combined with bell and marakash. Polyrhythms are giving the difficulties. Some of the pupils don't undestand and hear the connection inbetween the bell, marakash and the drum rhythms.
After working with them for one week, suddenly I can hear them trying to communicate with me on the drum. I immediatly adopt what they try to do and support them for them to understand it better.
All this communication is through rhythms, not with words.
Slowly they start to understand the way of communication without words and respond to it.
After the workshop we have a very wonderful show one Saturday and Sunday in May, which the audience was thrilled about.
A Ghanain musician was also in the audience, who then joined us on the stage. We did some 6/8 rhythms and combined it with bamboo flute. We also played 4/4 rhythms and sang some songs from all over the world towards it.
I do work in schools for many years now and I take part in music school camps for many times. This year I was very impressed about the camp.

For many years I am teaching at the music school Frick in Switzerland. Every year we do a different programm for the music school concerts all around the region. What I like from my pupils is, that they always have a confidence. They are from kindergarden till primary school.
They look so small if we have a concert with other students from the musicschool, but they always surprise everybody with their energy and their ability to concentrate. That gives me a possibility to change our programm any time. Or even create somthing new on the stage. They love to take part and you can see and feel that they also enjoy it. That gives me that possibilty to create new rhythms on the stage and the audience will not even recognize it. The pupils are flexible and have  a good understanding. To work with them is so easy going for me, so everytime we are on stage performing for the musicschool I introduce them as my music colleagues to the audience. I saw, that they like this very much and appreciate it. And you can see a big smile from their faces.
Some teachers who understand our African music and know how difficult it can be, they are surprised how these children can go far. Because I can do every rhythm with them on stage.
Our best concert this year was the opening of the Red Cross meeting in Aargau.

I am looking forward to meet them after holidays again and also the new pupils which are joining.
My motto will always be the same: no stress no panik - music gives energy - energy gives happyness.
Everytime I play music it gives me happyness. And I know it is the same to a lot of people.