Giving music schools a voice - on tour with the radiobus

"Hoi zäme! Hüt u morn dörfe mir mit anderne Chind zäme im Radiobus moderiere" (Hello everyone. We have the pleasure of hosting this morning's show from the radio bus with other children): with these words, Wanja and Moreno, two sixth-graders from Stans, greet their listeners. They admit to being very tense and excited, but nevertheless confident: "Aber das chunnt scho guet!

A little nervous, yet very much at ease - this was the impression given not only by the two Nidwaldian pupils, but also by the many other children and young people from all over Switzerland who took to the microphone during the ASEM anniversary tour in September. They conducted interviews, broadcast recordings from the music school, performed live on stage with their instruments, sometimes dropping into the audience to ask the questions that were closest to their hearts. They were supported in this by their school teachers and the Power-up radio bus team, an offer from the Pestalozzi Children's Village Foundation. A year before the tour, the heads of the participating music schools met for a kick-off meeting, and in spring 2025, the radio bus visited the 17 cantons involved to prepare the young radio hosts for their task. The music schools were free to design the content of the contributions. The result was a wide variety of programs, with music ranging from ländler to Taylor Swift and noise jazz.

"In fact, ASEM should also be celebrating 51^e anniversary," says Blaise Héritier, director of the Moutier music school, where the radiobus made its last stop at the end of September. "The project has generated a lot of energy - throughout Switzerland, and here in Moutier too."

Collaboration with the public school

Several music schools have teamed up with state schools to organize their own radio day. For example, in Malters, in the canton of Lucerne, a class of 8^e year was responsible for the program's content, while students from the Malters regional music school gave a well-attended concert, broadcast live over the airwaves during the ten o'clock break. Judith Reinert, director of the music school, and Stefan Steiger, class leader, both thoroughly enjoyed the collaboration. It was great," says Steiger, "my students were extremely committed to the radio day and prepared for it in their free time too. "The collaboration with the music school was a good one - we found that we could repeat the experience."

More repeated than usual

To mark Radio Day, the Basel School of Music decided to move away from its Grossbasel (Greater Basel) site and hold a festival at the Kasernenhof, a vast open-air venue which, with its playgrounds, bars and restaurants, attracts people of all ages. "I'm particularly pleased that we're able to be present here," notes Kaspar von Grünigen, head of the jazz department. "As a music school, we want to be as open and accessible as possible." Another sign of this is the collaboration with HitProducer. This institution, based at Kasernenhof, offers music production courses in social institutions. During the radio day, HitProducer and a group of young people produced the content for the podcasts, which alternated with concerts from the music school. "I had to announce a few songs and conduct two interviews", explained one of the hosts. "It was a lot of fun." And Nora, a student at the music school, who performed with the large horn ensemble, pointed out that she had still rehearsed a little more than usual: "I thought it was really cool. I'd never played at a festival before".

A project for young talent

Some music schools entrusted the planning and production of the podcasts to students from the talent promotion program. In Köniz and Bremgarten (Canton Bern), for example, almost all the young talents took part. They interviewed their music teachers about their daily activities, performed waltzes and asked the music school principal why John Coltrane was his favorite saxophonist. They also recorded music together in various formations. In both Köniz and Bremgarten, the radio day created a network between the students involved in talent promotion. "Bringing talent together in peer groups is an important aspect for us," noted Lukas Knecht, co-director of the Zollikofen Bremgarten music school.

Public relations: an important subject

I think it's great that, for once, we can present ourselves as a music school in a different context," says Judith Reinert, Director of the Malters Regional Music School. Christian Schütz, Director of the Köniz School of Music, agrees: "We're just one of many educational offerings. So we have to make sure that we are visible, that we reach families, and that people know that we don't just offer instrumental tuition, but also other courses such as songwriting or producing."

A wide-ranging program

The podcasts didn't confine themselves to musical subjects - for example, one school class produced a program devoted to the May 2025 natural disaster in Blatten, another interviewed a staff member in the zoo, and the latest sports results also inevitably featured on the program. That said, most of the program time was devoted to music. In Nidwalden, over 200 pieces produced by the canton's music schools were assembled during the preparations. The regional music school in Obermarch (SZ), which was also celebrating its 25^e anniversary, organized concerts with various ensembles, including several youth orchestras. In La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE), the show had to be moved indoors due to rain, but this did not spoil the atmosphere. Excerpts from the musicals "Matilda" and "A Chorus Line", in particular, delighted the audience.

These are just a few of the highlights - we urge you to have a listen! podcasts.

Giving meaning

Philippe Krüttli took part in the anniversary tour in two capacities: as President of the ASEM, and as Director of the Bernese Jura Music School. "These events are very important for us as music schools," he explains. "They give meaning to our work. Normally, we work for ourselves, practicing on the instrument, looking to improve - and it feels good to have the opportunity to show what we've learned. And as president of the association, I'm simply thrilled by this wonderful project. There's so much energy and commitment from the music schools. It's very motivating!"

Find out more: ASEM page.

Our photo gallery provides an overview of the various events surrounding the tour.