Young virtuosos in Bernau: string concerts from the Schönow elementary school!

Young virtuosos in Bernau: string concerts from the Schönow elementary school!

A special highlight is being celebrated today in Bernau, at the Schönow elementary school. Students from the 4th and 5th grades will present their skills at a big final concert that will take place at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The young string players have been rehearsing diligently over the past few years and are looking forward to finally playing in front of an audience. The instrumental lessons that the students have been enjoying for two years include violins, violas, cellos and double basses and are lovingly accompanied by their teachers.

A total of three music lessons in the subject “stringing” take place every week, during which the students not only learn a lot about holding their instruments, but also rehearse well-known pieces such as “Rain, Dew and Snow” and the theme song from “Pirates of the Caribbean”. The rehearsals are an integral part of the school day for the children because they take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays as part of regular lessons. “The continuous promotion of musical skills is important to us,” says music teacher Kathrin Möller, who founded the string classes.

Musical education for everyone

The project at the Schönow primary school is part of “Class:Music for Brandenburg”, a comprehensive cooperation program that has been initiated by the Association of Music and Art Schools Brandenburg e.V. since 2010. It has set itself the goal of giving all children, regardless of their social background, access to musical education. Over 6,175 students from more than 247 music classes now benefit from this approach, which pursues innovative learning methods and keeps instrumental lessons free of charge.

Thanks to the collaboration between schools and music schools, the children receive weekly instrumental lessons, which are carried out in a tandem model by music educators. The city of Bernau contributes to the financing by providing insurance for the instruments and ensuring their maintenance annually. The children also have the opportunity to take their instruments home, which can make practicing an everyday routine.

Elementary music education

A central component of musical education is elementary music education, which aims to provide people of all ages with diverse access to music. It stands out from classical teaching methods due to its diversity and focuses on the combination of singing, instrumental playing and movement in order to promote creative expression.

As part of the “Class:Music” program, instrument sets are provided for different classes and regular changes of instruments between grades are made possible. The aim is to create basic music-related experiences and to promote individual appropriation of music. It is particularly important that the offerings in elementary music education are designed to be inclusive so that groups with special needs can also be addressed.

The results of these efforts are already visible, as around three to four students per year continue their string training at the Barnim Music School after the string classes. With such committed programs, Bernau not only sets the course for his children's musical future, but also promotes their social and creative development.