A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß

Together with his wife Anna-Katharina, he plays in well-known ensembles such as the Elstätzinger Musikanten and the Hammerauer Musikanten. Elisabeth and Josef Radauer as well as Katharina and Rupert Pföß have joined forces in the ‘Radau & Co’ ensemble to bring children closer to folk music. They have created interactive concert programmes, for example for the Mozarteum Foundation's Lauschkonzerte, the Jeunesse concert series, the Salzburg Bach Society and the Diabelli Summer in Mattsee.

You have been connected to music since your earliest childhood, playing the violin, diatonic harmonica, double bass and much more. Where does your love of alpine folk music come from?

I was born with it. My mother already played music with my sisters, my aunt and my cousins. So I grew up with music and for us it was mainly folk music. When my dad bought a diatonic harmonica, the instrument immediately appealed to me, as I was only four or five years old. But first I had violin lessons because my primary school teacher thought I had what it took (laughs). Today I am very grateful that I can also play the violin to some extent. 

What is folk music? What is your approach to the term and have there been any changes in folk music?

There are many definitions. My grandmother, born in 1899, sang the Schneewalzer with passion. Because the song was sung by the people in her youth. Today it's folk music, but back then it was frowned upon by musicologists because it was a composed piece. So there were already demarcations back then. Many folk songs were stored in archives that were not open to the public. I think the most important thing about folk music is that it is not commercialised. That is not the essence of folk music. In any case, folk music used to be music that was communicated orally or by listening, i.e. it was not ‘consciously’ composed and written down, it was played without fixed notes. Things are different today. Of course, folk music also continues to develop and is therefore by no means old or outdated. Folk music continues to develop and is by no means old or dusty. It's not about preservation per se. Further development is important if you don't forget the roots. What was good will not be forgotten anyway. There are so many young musicians today who compose and write down new pieces and perform them in the best possible way. It's a bit commercial, because some of the sheet music can be bought.  This music is not only passed on in schools, but also via social media and in seminars, where a lot of music is played by heart and also passed on. 

I sometimes have the feeling that artificial divides are being created. Between musical genres, for example, or between cultures. Shouldn't music be something that unites people?

A lot has changed here. Firstly, because of the training at colleges, conservatoires and universities. And secondly, acceptance has increased. Especially since folk music has been taught in music schools by qualified teachers. Thomas Gansch (note: Mnozil Brass) once said that the discussion about the direction of music was superfluous. For him, there is only one kind of music. No separation into classical or folk music or whatever. Young people want to try out everything and there should be room for everything.

Is it important for music education to take place at universities?

Absolutely. Since 1992, it has been possible to study folk music instruments (diatonic harmonica, hammered dulcimer and zither) at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. One good reason for introducing the programme, which was called a ‘university course’ at the time, was the fact that from the beginning of the 1990s, only trained music teachers were employed at the former music school. The degree programme is very important and also very comprehensive. The further development of the curricula for these instruments has progressed rapidly in recent years. Our piano professor Günther Firlinger valued folk musicians for their ability to play by heart, as he recognised that they listen very differently and that this is a wonderful basis for a basic understanding. Instrumentalists on the diatonic harmonica, for example, listen in steps. That was perceived as very valuable. 

Did you always want to become a music teacher? How did that come about?

I came to music education by chance - sort of on the third educational path (laughs). I trained as a retail salesman. After my apprenticeship, I joined the army and then trained as a bank clerk. That's another area that has always interested me. From 1993, I worked in the family's own grocery shop. In 1994, I was asked if I would be interested in attending the ‘University Programme for Alpine Folk Music’ at the Mozarteum. At that time (note: from 1992), four to five students were accepted onto this programme every two years as there were no more resources available. I was initially very surprised but also delighted to be given this opportunity. Almost all students in the first and second year (1992, 1994) had already completed vocational training. As there was no state scholarship (note: the course was a state initiative), everyone continued to pursue their ‘bread and butter’ profession. The only support came from the Kurt and Felicitas Vössing Foundation. I started teaching at the Musikum in 1996, even though the course took four years and I was still studying. There was a great need for harmonica teachers. That's the case again today. At the Musikum Salzburg we mainly teach children, although the demand for lessons for adults is increasing. 

Why are music lessons so important for children and for society?

Music lessons are incredibly important for the development of our children. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to teach at compulsory schools with an IGP degree (note: instrumental/vocal pedagogy). Especially there, music lessons are being used very sparingly and are being reduced rather than expanded. This makes our music education all the more important. There are many studies that prove that children who practise music have advantages in learning. Children also strengthen their social skills by making music. It was very important to Michael Seywald (note: long-time regional director of the Musikum in Salzburg) that children should make music together with others from the second year of music lessons instead of continuing to receive only individual lessons. In the digital age, this seems even more important, as it means at least 30 minutes without a mobile phone and personal attention instead.

The shortage of teachers has been an issue in Austria for some time. Music education is also affected. What are the reasons for this?

It is often said that young teachers are not paid as well. That may be true, but it's also a matter of attitude. Although it is rarely possible to get a full teaching position at one or at most two locations in the music school sector. Often you can only get a few hours here or there. This means that teaching usually involves a lot of travelling and often unsuitable public transport timetables. But many also no longer want a full-time job so that they have enough time for their own creative work and their music - that is also understandable. For me, that would never have been a reason not to teach or to teach less. But there is still a lot of freedom. There are now a number of approaches and initiatives to counteract the shortage of teachers - including from universities. 

What are your favourite projects? Musical projects that you particularly enjoy pursuing?

I enjoy making music with our children, who are now 19, 17 and 14 years old, which naturally results in family music. My wife and I also play in various ensembles. One of them is called ‘Radau & Co’. Although the name of the ensemble has already led to misunderstandings (laughs). At one of our concerts in a retirement home, there was less of an audience because people associated the ensemble name ‘Radau & Co’ with a lot of noise. The name is actually derived from our surnames. With this ensemble, we give concerts for kindergartens and schools through the Mozarteum Foundation. Five different programmes have already been created. The current programme is called ‘The Missing Wig’ and is about a musician who wants to go to a carnival ball dressed as Mozart. However, she only has the costume but can't find the wig she needs. In the end, after a long search, we find her in the ‘attic’, where some instruments appear and are played with folk music melodies, including a short minuet by Mozart. You can recognise the close connection between some of the folk music pieces and Mozart's first compositions. This concert is designed to teach music to the very young. 

How do you ‘catch’ the children?

With hearty yodelling, lively but also devotional music, the lyrics of course also tell a story. Folk music has a wide range and is also linked to the church's annual cycle. We recently had a concert in a so-called ‘hotspot school’, where many children with a migrant background are taught. And although our language, sometimes in dialect, was certainly not always understandable for them, we were able to inspire all the children with a lot of movement in the concert and a great variety of melodies and songs. 

What is the best thing about your work as a teacher? What do you want to give children?

To awaken children's curiosity for music. To teach them the joy of making music, which I myself experience as a source of energy. To learn to understand music-making as a way of expressing one's own feelings, to strengthen self-esteem and to be able to make new social contacts by playing together in an ensemble. 

And what advice would you give your younger, student ‘self’?

A prerequisite for the profession is to enjoy making music. But even more important is a passion for teaching. You shouldn't be offended if it doesn't work straight away. The great thing is that the longer you teach, the more knowledge you have and the more relaxed you become. You gradually learn to meet the students where they are at the moment. It's often impossible to stick to precise plans. You have to let things grow and not lose patience and hope. I teach many children from the age of six to 17. Music then often accompanies them for the rest of their lives. A group of former pupils still make music together after many years. If something like that happens, we've done a lot of things right. 

Are there also stumbling blocks?

There are students who quit lessons because they don't want to do the theory course, which is often offered separately from music lessons. This is about musicology and music theory. This knowledge is comprehensive and useful and is also needed for performance assessments. That is a great pity. However, we are working on better solutions.

You are also involved in the new ORIGO folk music festival at the Mozarteum University in April. In what way and why is such a festival with a symposium, concerts, talks, street music, folk songs and even folk dance important?

Many people are not aware that folk music is taught at a university - folk music should therefore be brought into focus once again. Not everyone realises that teaching music can be a full-time profession. The Association of Austrian Music Schools (KOMU) has been working for some time to ensure that this profession is also recognised by the ministry. We want to achieve a little more broad impact. I am involved in the Wandelkonzerte with the Musikum, alumni, student ensembles and winners of the Alpine Folk Music Competition and the Herma Haselsteiner Prize.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us that I haven't asked about?

I just like to think back to my studies and my professor Rudi Pietsch. Those were legendary lectures. We really should have taken up teaching back then. He had an incredible amount of knowledge and was very committed to organising excursions so that we could broaden our musical horizons. We had planned a trip to Albania, which unfortunately didn't materialise due to the war in Yugoslavia. However, we did take a trip to Lviv and the Romanian Carpathians to get to know the music of the neighbouring countries to the east. These are experiences that you never forget. As a teacher, I try to pass on such experiences. We took a trip to St. Petersburg with 20 pupils from the Musikum in exchange with a local music school. You can add value to music school lessons with experiences like this.