PreCollege - time for orientation

Eva-Maria Neidhart - The PreCollege at Bern University of the Arts is a preparatory program that exists in a similar form at other Swiss music academies. It was founded a good five years ago in view of the increased international competition in the allocation of study places and the highly globalized music market. First and foremost, it acts as the final stage before studying music and supports Swiss talent in particular. The PreCollege Bern HKB teaches and promotes musical skills, but also sees itself as a place for like-minded people to meet and exchange ideas; young people with the same study goals and motivation come together here: Those who used to be the highlight of the evening at music school concerts, successfully took part in competitions and preferred to spend their summer vacations at music camp rather than scout camp, now arrange to meet at the university to practice or play chamber music, meet in Saturday theory lessons and other varied modules, listen to and comment on each other in class lessons and improve their performance skills in numerous concerts. Around 90% of these young students also take their core subject at the BUA and are therefore also part of the instrumental, vocal or composition classes through their teachers. They experience direct contact with lecturers and with Bachelor's and Master's students from all over the world as enriching and as a source of inspiration for their personal development. In doing so, they develop an awareness of their own abilities and artistic potential and prepare themselves for the challenges they will face as professional students. They practise self-reflection through the mirror of a vibrant environment that reveals realities and at the same time creates perspectives.

At our transdisciplinary art academy, PreCollege students also become aware of other artistic aesthetics and attitudes. They deal with topics from research or experience current projects in our department, for example in the fields of theater musical, music education or new music. In order to take into account the different needs, time resources (PreCollege parallel to secondary school or in the intermediate year?) and the respective level of education, we put together the program individually depending on interests and possibilities. For certain young students, the one to two-year period at PreCollege is a phase of orientation, of searching for their own study aspirations or musical perspectives. When entering PreCollege, it is not uncommon for students to be unsure whether their heart really beats for music, whether they can and want to present this or whether another field of study would ultimately suit them better.

For me as head of the PreCollege Bern HKB, these are groundbreaking and important decision-making processes in the life of a young person, which I observe with interest and follow personally with fascination. Sometimes, despite a solid performance, it becomes clear that music will remain a hobby in the future. This also makes sense as a realization: if the passion is not sufficiently present, if this inner fire for dealing with music does not blaze and the enthusiasm and perseverance are lacking despite existing potential and technical skills... Who knows, maybe a future neurologist will develop a special empathy for patients or innovative research methods thanks to the artistic skills that she will undoubtedly take with her from PreCollege.

22 young students currently attend our PreCollege each year. Half of them are musicians aiming for a Bachelor's degree in classical music. A quarter are young men and women who want to prepare for two other Bachelor's degree programs at the BUA, Music and Movement (Rhythmics) and Sound Arts. The profile of the classics students is mostly homogeneous: On average, they are 19-year-old young people who are about to complete or have already completed their Matura or, more rarely, their apprenticeship. Music is their most intense hobby. Almost half of the candidates pass the PreCollege entrance exam. Nevertheless, many have no precise idea of what life as a student at a music college is like. What it feels like when music becomes your main occupation, when honing your bowing technique or embouchure no longer has to be balanced past the grammar school sine curve and tin drum. Some are surprised by the energetic and emotional density of a purely artistic education. Dealing with oneself and with colleagues who are already more advanced in their studies is often a challenge. Whether dreaming of a great career as a musician, already musically successful or still unsure whether it should be a university degree - after their time at PreCollege, the choice is clear. Since PreCollege Bern HKB was founded in 2016, almost 100% of these young students have made the leap to a Bachelor's degree at HKB or another Swiss university.

Anyone interested in music and movement has a good basic understanding of music and a solid school education, is creative or talented in improvisation, dances through different styles or can imagine working as a teacher with children in their future career. Those interested in sound arts are fascinated by electronic sounds of all kinds, write music for film scenes, enjoy tinkering with soundtracks and recordings from everyday life or come from the DJ scene. The broad spectrum in these two areas ranges from musical children's circus trainees to flamenco dancers, from improvising harpists with looping devices to composing high school students with a penchant for electronics.

Young musicians who want to prepare for a bachelor's degree in jazz can find a talent factory specializing in university preparation in the Bern area in the form of the Swiss Jazz School, with which we as a university also maintain intensive cooperation as part of the Hofwil grammar school's talent development programme. In the Hofwil talent programme, young people receive lessons from our university lecturers (core subject, theory and aural training, improvisation) in a specialized talent class parallel to the 5-year grammar school and thus complete parts of their bachelor's degree in classical music or jazz while still at school. A path that relies on earlier support that is finely coordinated with the school timetable and defined at institutional level by a performance agreement.

Whether you choose this, that or a completely different path with the aim of studying for a Bachelor's degree and are successful with it may depend on various factors. The time at PreCollege brings a change of scene and puts the finishing touches to the Bachelor's aptitude test. The musical, technical and personal progress that unfolds on this threshold to professional studies is sometimes astounding. This is only possible where highly qualified instrumental teachers have previously encouraged and challenged talented students with tireless dedication from the very first minute of lessons. And they not only teach the basic instrumental skills, but also individually adapt the balancing act between long-term goals and small successes. At the same time, music teachers keep the inner motivation of a whole group of differently gifted pupils alive, are often an important point of contact during the confusing years of puberty and create an atmosphere of trust in the classroom. They pack the complexity of instrumental skills and musical understanding into a weekly lesson, while adapting to the block timetable of the elementary school.

Fortunately, in places where little importance was structurally attached to the promotion of musical talent in the past, new programs are being created or cantonal associations are being formed in order to develop structured talent promotion from an early age across regional or institutional boundaries. This development seems to me to be of eminent importance: after all, the experiences made on the instrument in the first ten years or so and the neurological and emotional connections that form during this time are formative for musical development, for successful music studies and for a possible future career as a musician.

It remains a challenge for all of us to create a continuous line of musical careers in a Swiss education system traditionally geared towards breadth and late specialization. This can only succeed if we are aware of the diversity of potentials, resources and possibilities of individuals and institutions. As a joint task and with the constant effort to see the next generation of musicians at the center.

Eva-Maria Neidhart

...is Head of PreCollege at the Bern University of the Arts and represents the KMHS on the Classical Music Commission of the Swiss Youth Music Competition.