How do you inspire children to learn an instrument?How do you inspire children to learn an instrument?

Friedrich Mück, music teacher at the Johannes-Brenz-Gemeinschaftsschule, has dealt intensively with this question. Anyone who walks past one of the music rooms at this school on Friday during the first lesson will quickly realise that he seems to have found an answer to this question.

Every Friday he rehearses with a by now very large wind orchestra made up of 20 pupils from Years 5 and 6. In conversation, Friedrich Mück talks about his vision of a wind orchestra open to pupils from Year 5 upwards. He has thought hard about how to inspire pupils to learn a musical instrument, especially a wind instrument. He has put his vision into practice with the wind band class at the Johannes-Brenz-Gemeinschaftsschule.

As part of this concept, instrumental teachers from the Stadtmusikschule Schwäbisch Hall come directly to the school, so the pupils receive lessons in small groups and the children can also practise at school. Once a week, everything is then brought together in the orchestra under the direction of Friedrich Mück as conductor.

When pupils are asked about their reasons for learning a wind instrument, it quickly becomes clear that for the children it is not only about being able to play an instrument. They also enjoy learning an instrument together as a group. That is also the great challenge, says Mück: so many different instruments playing together. “When everyone plays together, each person has their own truth,” says the passionate music teacher. It is a challenge to make it work so that everyone plays together.“

The wind band class is currently in an important rehearsal phase. One of its next big concerts will take place on 13.07.2025 in St. Georg church in Bühlertann. It should be added that the concert will take place together with the Musikverein Bühlertann, which Friedrich Mück also conducts. During the rehearsal process, their music teacher will again accompany them intensively. By the way, Friedrich Mück is not only a music teacher. He is also a passionate musician, conductor and choir director. He has already played trombone in renowned orchestras such as the Hamburger Symphoniker, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin and the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. He completed his studies with distinction. The Johannes-Brenz-GMS has been his home school since the 2023/24 school year.