As of: February 15, 2024, 6:00 p.m
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The twelve members of the Welfen-Gymnasium string class practiced for up to seven hours a day during the rehearsal days in the Wies with their teachers Tiny Schmauch (on the double bass) and Judith Grünthaler (on the violin).
© Closer
At the beginning of the school year it was founded at the Welfen-Gymnasium in Schongau following the example of other schools: the string class, consisting of twelve students, was now at the Wies Adult Education Center for three intensive days of rehearsals.
Wies
– The rehearsal days in Wies have been taking place since 2004.
This time a total of 120 music-loving high school students took part. Our Schongau newsletter regularly informs you about all the important stories from your region.
The string class – four violinists, three viola players, three cellists and two double bass players – is gathered in the seminar room on this last morning of rehearsals.
The young musicians all started taking lessons when they entered fifth grade, so they are at the same level of development.
The leaders Judith Grünthaler and Tiny Schmauch support them on the violin and double bass respectively.
Recording with your cell phone
A tango is played: Schmauch records the music with his cell phone and plays it to the fifth graders: “Was it good?
Or what could we do better?” he asks the group.
Next on the program is a waltz.
“The way you danced yesterday is how you have to play,” he encourages the young group.
When the dance momentum doesn't really take hold, he tries something different.
“Who would like to dance to this now?” Four dancers immediately come forward.
And immediately afterwards two couples turn gracefully in circles.
Disciplined, but also tired
And the music actually seems more upbeat.
While you're still amazed at the excellent work discipline - no one speaks in between, everyone always knows what to do - Schmauch says with a smile: "Since the journalist has been here, you've all been much calmer." But he's immediately met with contradiction: "Absolutely not true!
We're just all so tired.” Judith Grünthaler “prefers not to answer” the question of whether it was quite late last night.
Now follows a piece that is rehearsed at the students' request: "Counting Stars", a song by the American pop-rock band "OneRepublic".
“I'll count in English, then it'll be a lot easier,” jokes Schmauch.
This was also part of the rehearsal days in the Wies: the students sat in a circle with their teachers and tapped rhythms on the floor with their mallets.
© Closer
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What follows his “one, two, three” proves that even supposedly light entertainment music has its pitfalls if you actively engage with it.
“The difficult thing about making music is that you not only have to be able to use your own voice, but you also have to always listen to others,” explains the class leader.
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After 15 minutes of concentrated rehearsal work, you have to put the instruments away and set them up in the middle.
Movement games with rhythmic clapping help loosen things up.
Then everyone sits down in a circle and takes mallets in their hands, with which rhythms can be practiced playfully.
First everyone follows the given pattern together, then individuals send a rhythm around the group that the others should pick up.
Up to seven hours a day
After ten minutes it's back to the instruments.
“I don't think I can play anymore.
I have a blister on my finger,” the cello section suddenly says.
“The children are very motivated,” says Grünthaler during the next break.
“This was the first time we played with multiple voices.
They didn't even know that before.
And now they’re excited that it suddenly sounds like an orchestra.”
Positive feedback
The big leap in development that the group has made is no coincidence.
“We worked from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and then again from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.,” reports the manager.
We were still able to squeeze in a short hike to the Wieskirche.
And how did the children experience the rehearsals?
Cellist Flurina (11) beams as she answers: “It was very nice!” Her double bass colleague Jonas (10) agrees with her, but says it was also exhausting.
“We had seven hours of lessons a day,” he emphasizes.
But he also had fun.
The local newspapers in the Weilheim-Schongau district are represented on Instagram under “merkur_wm_sog”.
This feedback was also received by teachers Schmauch and Grünthaler.
The two are confident that the string class project has passed its baptism of fire and has a good future.
The registration form for the upcoming string class can already be found on the high school's homepage.
SABINE CLOSER