Forest Arts Music Hub

The 48th elementary school in Berlins Conrad-Blenkle-Strasse has been earmarked for a new projest by the Daniel Barenboim Foundation, offering each pupil 15 minutes of one-on-one instrumental tuition three times a week.

The project was launched today by the Berlin Senate for Education, the Barenboim Foundation, the Pankow district and the 48th elementary school. The concept, special staff training and startup financing will be covered by the DBF for two years. After that the Senate Dept for Ed, Youth and Family will pick up the bill.

Barenboim said: "I am happy and proud of the start of the musical school, a pilot project that will hopefully find many imitators. I am deeply convinced that musical education is essential both for the indicidual development of people and for our society. The government subsidies for musical institutions in Germany are of course great, but music is neglected in todays school education. It is just as important as mathmatics, or history. In our music kindergarten we show that early childhood musical education means that a large number of children will continue to occupy themselves music in their lives. The musical school is a logistical continuation of this commitment and I am very much looking forward to the next five years.

Sandra Sheeres, Senator for Education,Youth and Family: "I am very happy that the DBF is implementing the concept of the 'musical school' in a public school. I would like to thank Mr Barenboim very much for this initiative. The 'Kornblumenklasse' is the first class of the 48th elementaty school in Pankow, which has already started piano lessons. With these piano lessons, the promotion of the musical side of all children begins. It is not about training future concert pianists, rather, with learning an instrument, access to musical education should take place holistically. Music can inspire, make you happy or calm down, and it can broaden horizons of students. It is very important to Mr Barenboim and me that this opportunity is offered to all students.