Music school with a Canadian flavour

Nancy Gibson

70 years of Chemnitz Music School - an anniversary that was to be celebrated with a week of festivities and a big concert at the beginning of October. The coronavirus pandemic put a spanner in the works for director Nancy Gibson, her teachers and pupils. Nevertheless, the celebrations continue. "A birthday is a fixed date that won't be changed," says Nancy Gibson with a smile. The party will be smaller than planned and the celebratory concert in the opera house will take place next year.

70th anniversary of the music school. Instead of a big celebration, the anniversary is now smaller. How sad are you?
Nancy Gibson: Just as sad as everyone else who had planned big events or anniversaries this year. The music school's birthday is just one of hundreds of events in Chemnitz alone that cannot take place as originally planned.
We had planned a big celebratory concert in the opera house with former students and prominent people from the city. We now have to postpone that for a year. We have severely restricted the concerts during the festival week. Only a maximum of 50 people are allowed in the concert hall. Each department of the music school will present a small concert. On 9 October, there will be a ceremony to which people close to the music school are invited. There will be small musical contributions and guest speeches.

The music school has reopened. What is it like to work under these conditions?
It changes from week to week. At the moment, normal lessons are not yet possible. There are certain regulations, especially for the wind instruments and singers. Our ensembles, such as the choir or orchestra, have to rehearse in large rooms and sometimes split up.
In addition, there are currently no office hours on site, only by telephone or email. One problem is dealing with parents. They currently have to wait for their children outside the school because we need to have as few people in the music school as possible. This becomes difficult in winter due to the weather conditions. We don't want to leave anyone outside in the cold or rain. We have to find a solution for that. At least for the younger children.

Does the organisation sound like a lot of work?
It certainly is. These corona regulations and everything related to them take up about 20 per cent of my working time. That's quite a lot. Nevertheless, we are very happy to be open again. It was a fantastic, emotional opening week. Everyone has followed the measures with great discipline because they are also happy to have a piece of normality back.

A completely new challenge for the native Canadian in her twelfth year at the Chemnitz Municipal Music School. Growing up in Toronto, she received her first musical training on the piano and violin. She studied singing in her home country, followed by further studies in London and at the opera school in Glasgow. Chemnitz has been her home since 1992 - with her husband, a German cellist. We decided that Germany was the best place for us to live."

A rather unusual path to Chemnitz. How did it come about?
As a musician, I studied singing and violin and, as a budding professional musician, I was looking for an engagement. After a big audition tour in Germany, a very good offer came from Chemnitz. I was exactly what they were looking for. I've been here ever since. And when you have children, build a house and get a dog, you become very deeply rooted (laughs).

Do you regret it?
Not any more. Chemnitz is a great city. What it offers: lots of nature, greenery, sports and cultural activities. You can be in the countryside in 15 minutes by car. I think that's very nice. In my opinion, this is not appreciated enough: many people in Chemnitz don't seem to know what the situation is like in other cities. The living conditions here are excellent.

It sounds like you had problems at the beginning?
A lot of things came together. I couldn't speak the language very well and didn't understand the mentality of the people in the East. I didn't realise how close the fall of communism was and what it had done to the people here. The wounds were still very fresh. I was completely naive and didn't realise at the time what the reunification meant for the people of East Germany. A lot of things are clearer to me now.

In 2009, you moved from the stage to the desk. How did you become head of the music school?
Many coincidences came together. I wanted to offer a programme for senior citizens in the city and approached the then Mayor of Culture, Heidemarie Lüth. She introduced me to Ute Kiehn-Dziuballa, who was head of the power station at the time, and Brigitte Poster, the former head of administration at the music school. Together we developed an idea to offer "music for senior citizens". This resulted in the "DA CAPO" format, which is still popular today. Through this collaboration, I became aware of the advertised position, which I have now held since 30 June 2009.

Three folk music schools in Chemnitz were officially opened on 1 October 1950. They were attached to the Humboldt School, Comenius School and André School primary schools. The founders were Werner Hübschmann (composer), Herbert Kettwig (music teacher) and Paul Kurzbach (composer). In the beginning, the focus was on teaching music for folk instruments: Accordion, string instruments, piano, recorder, zither and singing. Later, the music school was commissioned by the central authorities to train young musicians for orchestras and theatres. At first, the music school was a guest in various general education schools, later moving to a backyard building on Dresdner Straße. From the 1985/86 school year, the music school was finally able to take over its new and own domicile under the direction of Walter Schindler: the beautiful townhouse at Gerichtsstraße 1. In 2013, the extension with the large concert hall, the band rehearsal room and some classrooms was completed. The second floor of the building is currently being renovated and some of the colleagues are teaching in the alternative premises in Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. Today, the work of the Municipal Music School is organised into several departments: String instruments, keyboard instruments, plucked instruments, singing, elementary music education with early music education, dance and senior citizens' lessons, rock-pop-jazz and wind instruments. Some of the early education lessons are given directly in schools and kindergartens. Around 100 teachers currently teach around 2500 pupils at the music school.

What have been your highlights in eleven years as director of the music school?
(As if shot from a pistol) For me, definitely the opening of our new building and the concert hall. We had a great reception and a fantastic celebratory concert. It was unbeatable, it was simply incredible. I think many people who were there can confirm that. Many municipal partners supported us. I will never forget that for the rest of my life.
But I also want to emphasise that we can celebrate great successes with our students. Every year, some of them take part in the national "Jugend musiziert" competition. These are always highlights for us teachers as well as for the pupils that you never forget. Many performances are also memorable. For example, the concert series with the opera house "Viva la Musica" or the dream concert with the city's representative for the disabled. It's always fascinating to see how people with disabilities make music. It gives me goose bumps.

Based on the title "City of Sport" - is Chemnitz also a city of music?
Absolutely. What other city of this size has such a philharmonic orchestra, its own orchestra or an opera house? And we have some great bands. What's more, events such as the "Hutfestival" or "Fête de la Musique" attract large numbers of music-loving Chemnitz residents to the city.
It's a shame that people don't always take up these offers as they deserve. At the symphony concerts, there would normally be queues of people waiting to get in. But there are always free seats. The people of Chemnitz need to be more curious, even about things that don't interest them straight away.

You are strongly committed to Chemnitz: in the Friends of Chemnitz 2025, in the Peace Day working group, to name just two examples. Why do you do that?
(laughs) Maybe it's a reaction to my first few months in Chemnitz. When I woke up every morning and asked myself what I was actually doing here. It took me a long time to feel at home, both professionally and privately.
My commitment to the city consists of observing - from an outsider's perspective. From year to year, there has been a really positive development in Chemnitz. In addition to the cityscape, it is also the people of Chemnitz themselves who are developing and becoming more relaxed. The biggest problem is that the residents are not proud of their city. They are ashamed of it. That has to change - also in view of the bid to become the Capital of Culture 2025. I want to help people perceive and understand the city in this way: What it has to offer and how great it is.

Are you planning to go back to Canada after your work here?
Chemnitz has become home and we would miss many of the people we have got to know. I can't imagine leaving Chemnitz forever. That would break my heart. But it's hard to know that your home is so far away. Every year, the feeling of wanting to go to Canada more often grows stronger. When I'm retired, I'll certainly live there for a few months a year. Provided I have enough money. (laughs)

The city has the ambitious goal of becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2025. What can the music school contribute to this?
The important thing is what we can all do: And that is to talk about it well and dare to dream. I am one hundred per cent convinced that the title of European Capital of Culture will give the city a big boost. The music school will make a big contribution, that's for sure!