Description
The catholic and protestant churches in Germany are experiencing a sharp decline in church memberships. As a result more and more people don't listen to the instrument organ or to organ music anymore. At the same time the number of organ pedagogical and organ (music) mediative programs has been increasing since a few years.
„Children and classical organ music – is that possible?“ This question was the introductory question in the master thesis „Music mediation of organ music and the instrument organ in the catholic church. An analysis of concert concepts for primary schools“.
This study analysed music mediation concepts of organ music and the organ instrument for primary schools. In addition to this, the concept for children’s organ concerts, „Orgelbauer Fröhlich“, was developed, organised and evaluated between December 2019 and February 2020. In this concert Orgelbauer Fröhlich introduces children in a scenic-interactive, playful and humorous setting into organ music and the instrument organ.
805 children aged between 5 and 10 at different primary schools were asked to fill out a survey form directly after the concerts. It contained four questions:
1. Did you like the organ concert for children?
2. What did you like the most?
3. Would you like to visit an organ concert for children again?
4. Have you ever heard the organ instrument before the concert?
Almost 90% liked the organ concert for children with Orgelbauer Fröhlich. More than 50% liked the classical organ music and the figure Orgelbauer Fröhlich as well. 76,65% would like to visit an organ concert for children again, 72,15% had heard an organ before.
In conclusion, this study shows that children are likely to enjoy classical organ music and develop interest in the instrument organ. Using different kinds of methods like acting, games and music are essential for building a low-threshold access. This could lead to an interesting in self-playing the organ.
This study shows the impact of acting, role-modeling and interaction with children at eye level in a music mediation setting, especially at classical children's concerts.
| Names, affilations and contact information | Friedhelm Bruns, Research assistant at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, E-Mail: info@friedhelm-bruns.de |
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| Bio | Friedhelm Bruns works as a research assistant in the project “Network 4.0 of Music Universities” at the Detmold University of Music. He also organizes international organ concerts for children as a freelance music mediator and actor in the role of “Orgelbauer Fröhlich“. He has now reached thousands of children with this playful and interactive concert program in churches like St. Stephen's Cathedral Vienna, City Church St. Wenzel or the St. Paulus' Cathedral Münster. He is currently working on his doctorate on the impact and meaning of the instrument organ and organ music mediation projects and programs. |