Nik Bärtsch

What did it take in your case for you to develop so beautifully as a musician?

What is needed above all is initiative: not complaining, but action. Once a certain local resonance has been achieved, international expansion is urgently needed, i.e. opportunities to work with people who are already very experienced. This is challenging and fun. At the same time, you learn a tremendous amount and still realize that they only boil with water - and the water in Switzerland is excellent, as we all know.

Are the conditions in Switzerland conducive or detrimental to musical development?

Basically, I found the conditions to be very conducive: We have enough to eat and good water to drink and good opportunities to learn. There is also a great cultural openness. Switzerland is something like a permanent world exhibition. Everything and everyone comes here at some point. So you can get started quite early, observe and take risks, get to know your own limits and expand them. It becomes dangerous when you make yourself comfortable in terms of wellness and prosperity. That doesn't work internationally. In Switzerland, there is very good and broad cultural promotion, but only a small market. That has both advantages and disadvantages. But the market here won't get you anywhere in the medium term.

Is it essential for musical self-realization to go abroad?

Clearly in our area. Switzerland is officially a country, but compared to major music countries like the USA, Germany or the UK, it's actually more of a bonsai state, like Tennessee or Scotland. In the USA, for example, a band first tours around its hometown, then in its own state, then in those around it, then the whole country and then possibly overseas.
So for us, the second step already means Munich or Paris ...