Heiner Oberhorner and Udo Konrad have shaped the Schlierach-Leitzachtal music school since it was founded.
As they say goodbye, they now look back on the eventful years.
Hausham
– Heiner Oberhorner (71) and Udo Konrad (76) spent a year and a half preparing for their retirement from volunteering on the board of the Schlierach-Leitzachtal music school.
In the meantime, they have handed over their posts as chairman and treasurer, which they have held since the company was founded 45 years ago, to Hausham's mayor Jens Zangenfeind (chairman) and municipal treasurer Martin Reisberger (treasurer) by election at the general meeting (we reported).
In an interview with our newspaper, Oberhorner and Konrad now look back on the success story of the music school.
A conversation about eventful and moving times, a good friendship and the love of music that connects everything.
Mr. Oberhorner, Mr. Konrad, since moving to the former Hausham savings bank building in 2004, the Schlierach-Leitzachtal music school has had a vault in the basement. Since then, how often have you had to assure that there are no suitcases of money stored in them?
Heiner Oberhorner:
Fortunately, nobody ever accused us of that.
Why else would we have knocked on all town hall doors in 2014 after the district savings bank had left as a donor to advertise for more support?
Udo Konrad:
We really struggled with the role of the petitioner.
Especially since the music school suddenly ended up in the middle of a political discussion.
Although we were able to present a rock-solid and fully transparent financing concept, we had to listen to criticism that was not only inappropriate, but also damaged us further through the subsequent media coverage.
Looking back, the most difficult time in your 45 years as chairman or treasurer?
Heiner Oberhorner:
Yes.
I think I can speak for both of us with a clear conscience.
Especially since this phase came at the beginning of my wife Elisabeth’s cancer illness as the head of the music school at the time.
It all hurt her so much.
Udo Konrad:
All of us were all the more relieved that ultimately the facts, but above all the word of our numerous supporters in the communities, prevailed.
And with that something that once helped the music school to be founded, right?
Heiner Oberhorner:
Absolutely.
My wife's dream of building a counterpart to the state music school Tegernseer Tal for the east of the district would never have come true without the great support from the then mayors of the later member communities in Schlierach-Leitzachtal and district administrator Norbert Kerkel right from the start.
It is just as important to me to emphasize the merits of the Kreissparkasse Miesbach-Tegernsee for their then CEO Georg Bromme.
Without him we would not be where we are today.
Namely?
Udo Konrad:
Expressed in numbers, we started with seven teachers and 150 students.
Today there are 26 teachers and over 900 students.
Dimensions of a medium-sized company.
Would you have thought such a development possible?
Udo Konrad:
Absolutely not.
It all started very small and family.
Heiner Oberhorner:
Ultimately with our friendship, which aptly arose through the music.
You must tell.
Udo Konrad:
Back then I played keyboards with the Stern Quintett – a band for dance music.
When we were missing a bass player, Heiner contacted me - at just 17 years old.
A stroke of luck, as it turned out.
Oberhorner: In 1978 Udo was able to take revenge.
My wife asked him if, as a banker, he could also take care of the music school's finances.
So we started at Marktwinkl in Miesbach.
How did you actually get the first teachers and especially the students?
Heiner Oberhorner:
That actually happened almost automatically.
The need was just there.
At that time, music lessons outside of schools were limited to a few independent teachers who offered private lessons.
Of course, the fact that my wife was a music teacher at the Miesbach Realschule also helped us here.
The breakthrough was then, of course, when we joined the Bavarian Music School Association and the Association of German Music Schools.
Because as a state music school you can get grants that private schools are denied?
Udo Konrad:
That is correct, but it does not go far enough.
In fact, this seal is associated with many conditions, especially quality.
Students and teachers alike benefit from this.
Oberhorner: Our teachers are permanently employed with all social benefits.
This in turn makes us attractive for musically and pedagogically highly qualified personnel.
Not least for my wife, who is a trained concert pianist, that was always a big concern.
Conversely, we also expect an extraordinarily high level of commitment from the teachers.
Does that mean specifically?
Heiner Oberhorner:
According to the employment contract, every music teacher in our company has to offer at least one student audition per year.
In practice there are many more because it is a great experience, especially for children and young people, to experience their own instrument in interaction with others.
That motivates immensely.
In order to present the broad spectrum of our work and the skills of our students to the public, we also offer a series of concerts and an open house every year.
Konrad: The fact that we have had our new headquarters here in the former Sparkasse branch in Hausham since 2004 and, on top of that, a newly built hall, makes that a lot easier for us, and we are still grateful to the Kreissparkasse for that.
Our two branch offices in the old hospital in Miesbach and in the elementary school in Elbach also help us a lot.
How has the musical spectrum of the school changed over the years?
Heiner Oberhorner:
It grew organically with the school.
It all started with piano, accordion, guitar and wind instrument lessons.
We now have a large number of offers for all age groups.
From the musical parent-child group to children's choirs, wind instruments, youth brass bands to dulcimer orchestras, parlor music, big bands and, of course, lessons on all string instruments.
Konrad: Not to mention the cooperation with twelve kindergartens and the Anton Weilmaier special needs school, where children who need inclusion play our Veeh harps.
Through a cooperation with the parish of Hausham, we can even offer organ lessons.
Oberhorner: I would also like to add the friendly relationship with the music school Tegernseer Tal.
And that's not just because
The music school now has an even closer connection to the Hausham town hall...
Heiner Oberhorner:
It is an absolute stroke of luck that Mayor Jens Zangenfeind has taken over the presidency and Treasurer Martin Reisberger the cash register of the music school.
Both were our preferred candidates.
However, I would like to make it clear once again that both positions are entirely voluntary activities.
Konrad: We can both say from the bottom of our hearts that we haven't received a cent in 45 years.
In what condition are you handing over the music school to your successors?
Udo Konrad:
With a clear conscience and as a well-ordered house.
If you ignore the slump during the corona lockdowns, the music school pays well over 80 percent from the tuition fees.
Most other state music schools are more dependent on grants and donations.
Sounds like Mr. Zangenfeind and Mr. Reisberger don't have much to do anymore...
Heiner Oberhorner:
At least they don't need to strive for further growth.
With more than 900 students, we have actually reached the limit of our capacity.
Especially when you consider that the administration is in the hands of two people: our headmaster Johannes Obermeyer and his secretary Silvia Freiwang.
So there will be a freeze on recording?
Udo Konrad:
No, we keep waiting lists.
But that can also have a positive effect on the appreciation.
Finally, the solution to the initial question: What is really in the vault?
Heiner Oberhorner:
(
laughs
) At the moment we have many instruments for hire and a sheet music archive.
Our drummers practice in the next room.
For acoustic reasons, so they don't disturb the recorder lessons upstairs.
Incidentally, we welded the safe door open when it was open.
Because once it had fallen shut, nobody would have cracked it again.
so called
