"Isen laughed at me": Conductor Marcel Schultheiss on his involvement with the brass band

Created: 03/24/2022, 09:00

Marcel Schultheiss © private

A Lower Franconian in Upper Bavaria: Conductor Marcel Schultheiss talks about his career in an interview.

He has been preparing for the spring concert on April 2nd with the Isen brass band since December.

Isen

– The brass band Isen has been rehearsing for their spring concert since December.

During the pandemic, this involved some organizational effort.

"But the alternative of not rehearsing was not up for discussion," the orchestra said in a press release.

The youth brass band under the direction of Franz Windshuber has already started.

You own the stage at the beginning of the concerts.

Appointments are on Saturday, April 2, at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, April 3, at 2 p.m. in the school gymnasium in Isen.

The program was worked out with Marcel Schultheiss, the new conductor of the main orchestra.

It ranges from the Scottish "Hymn Of The Highlands" to "The Lord Of The Rings" to "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty.

In an interview as part of the club's announcement, Schultheiss talks about his career.

What brings a Lower Franconia to Upper Bavaria?

Corona forced me to give up my independent existence.

I was previously only a professional musician and conductor in amateur orchestras.

The first lockdown still worked quite well.

Then I looked around for a job.

By chance I found work as a consultant for a telescope dealer in Parsdorf near Munich, which fits in with my second great hobby, astronomy.

That's why I moved to Reithofen.

Did you know anyone here?

No, I came down here all by myself.

I'm unattached so that wasn't a problem.

What's more, I'm a mountain fan.

400 kilometers closer to the Alps – not even ten horses can take me away.

How did you come across the Isen brass band?

I haven't found that many others.

After a six-month break, I wanted to play a little trumpet again and have fun.

I saw Erding and Isen.

Isen smiled at me more.

From the homepage, the amount of people and the type of music.

What training did you complete?

I went to the music academy in Frankfurt am Main and have a master's degree in music education.

My major was trumpet.

How did you get into music back then?

I was six or seven then.

My father was in a choral society, my uncle was a piano tuner, and my sister played a little bit of clarinet and flute.

That's why I was sent to a youth campaign by the local music club.

Apparently I got the best tone out of the trumpet, which is why I started with it.

I actually wanted to learn the drums, so my mother said: "Well, it's too loud." The trumpet isn't necessarily quieter... But she didn't know that.

Do you play any other instruments?

In principle, any brass instrument will do, because the difference in approach isn't really that big and the fingerings are the same for most of them anyway - except for the horn and trombone.

I've done the timpani and all the percussion a few times at concerts.

Can you imagine making music full-time again?

No, I don't want to be self-employed anymore.

I just have the advantage that I now have something nice like free weekends and free evenings.

The new job is also safer.

As a musician, you have to do a lot to make ends meet.

You can't live off a single club.

I had four clubs, three youth orchestras, four brass classes and 20 to 30 students - depending on the year.

But then the free time goes to zero.

I really like playing the Isen brass band because it's really fun.

But it doesn't have to be more.

What hobbies do you have besides music?

I do parcours and free running and train almost every free weekend in Munich now that I have the time.

What music do you listen to privately?

I used to do classical music too – I'm a big Beethoven fan.

Not so in the last few years.

I generally enjoy playing more than listening.

Otherwise, I'm not a big fan of what's on the radio.

It's all uniform.

I had a long phase when I was a big Linkin Park fan. Currently it's going more in the gothic metal direction, Evanescence, Halestorm.

What kind of music do you prefer to conduct and play?

Right from the start I was a typical brass band person: the complete spectrum from polka to potpourris to symphonic brass music.

During my studies I did a lot of classical, baroque.

For the fun of conducting and playing, symphonic brass band music is my favorite.

You didn't have a score at the autumn concert.

It was the first concert where I dared to do it.

As a musician, you always have to make sure that you don't play the notes black and white, but try to understand what's behind it.

The best moment at your first BKI concert?

That everyone went along with it.

Participation in rehearsals was very good and everyone pulled together.

The first rehearsal was fun because it was a complete shot in the dark for both sides.

How do you get on with Bavarian?

Good.

I can understand it, it somehow starts with the speaking itself.

Sometimes the Hessian dialect still comes through.

We're still in Bavaria, but up there we're babbling in Hessian.

At some point I'll probably end up with an unhealthy mixture of "Boarian" and "Hessian".

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Pre sales:

Tickets are available from Saturday, March 26, at RWG Raiffeisen-Waren GmbH in Isen and at the box office for twelve euros and seven euros.

Reservations can be made by phone (01 76) 24781513 or email info@blaskapelle-isen.de.