The certificate from the International Foundation Schloss Kapfenburg was presented on Tuesday, June 28, during a ceremonial event.
„You can be proud of your music school!“, said Hans-Dieter Karsch from the International Foundation Schloss Kapfenburg to Cultural Officer Dr. Sabine Dengel and Music School Director Thomas Kitzig on the occasion of the award ceremony. „This certification is a unique selling point, as this music school is the first institution in Saarland to receive this distinction,“ said Karsch. The certification is „a special sign of life for an active music school that has recognized the signs of the times and has embraced new areas such as musicians' health as a newly acquired competence.“
The certification was initiated by Christina Theis, who studied clarinet and elementary music education at the Hochschule für Musik Saar and has been working at the music school of the state capital for 20 years. "I have always integrated body work and mental training into my teaching. I knew there were certain mechanisms that worked well. But I wanted to understand how and why."
Thus, alongside her work in music education and artistry, she completed a three-year advanced study program in music physiology at the Zurich University of the Arts, which she completed with the Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS), and trained as a certified mentor of the International Foundation Schloss Kapfenburg within the framework of the "healthy music school®" project for work in prevention at music schools. In this capacity, she will now be active at the music school of the state capital, helping both students and teachers play music healthily.
Thomas Kitzig: "Quality is an essential characteristic of our music school"
At the ceremonial presentation of the certificate, Christina Theis thanked Thomas Kitzig and the support association of the music school for their assistance during her intensive training. Kitzig returned the thanks: "Quality is an essential feature of the music school of the state capital Saarbrücken. This includes excellent, experienced teachers who are willing to continue their education. Therefore, I am very pleased that Christina Theis has taken this step and will now expand our school's offerings to include the aspect of 'healthy music-making.'"
Culture Councillor Dr. Sabine Dengel, who opened the ceremony, described the integration of health aspects into music school work as a "very important contribution to holistic resilience and personality development." It has been proven that children who make music are much better at coping with stressful situations. "It is important to teach the basics of healthy music-making from the very beginning, such as the correct posture or how to deal with stage fright," said Sabine Dengel.
Stable posture and mental training
"My goal is to find out what helps each individual best," explained Christina Theis. "Music physiology is not physiotherapy. Rather, it is about preventing incorrect strain during music-making through targeted bodywork or improving the personal sound." Another important area of work for the music physiologist is teaching a healthy way to deal with tension in concert situations, student recitals, or rehearsals.
At the music school of the state capital, Christina Theis will in future offer both workshops and individual lessons for students and teachers. There will also be a "Day of Musicians' Health" as soon as the Corona situation allows.
Background: The International Foundation Schloss Kapfenburg
Since 2003, the International Foundation Schloss Kapfenburg has been committed to supporting musicians from childhood in staying fit through and for making music. The focus is on the health-promoting potential of making music and strengthening existing resources. In addition to the health of musicians, elementary music education also plays an important role, as support should begin as early as possible.
Further information is available at www.schloss-kapfenburg.de.
