Learning for Life Through Music

Empowering the next generation through music to make conscious life choices.

“My most important learning from all these years is, whatever you do in life, you should do it as good as possible. And this brought me to where I am today.”

Laura describes perfectly, what music for social change is all about: Far beyond music education, the programs funded by the Hilti Foundation, aim to empower children and young people to overcome barriers and to grow personally.

In collaboration with the Lucerne Festival, Superar Suisse organized a one-week music camp in 2019, inviting the National Youth Orchestra & Choir of the social music program Sinfonía por el Perú. The focus of this week was the social exchange among young people from different cultures: Getting to know each other's music and working together on a musical repertoire for the big final concert in the concert hall of the KKL Luzern. This music camp was made possible by the Hilti Foundation.

“Through music, the students learn how to make conscious choices in life and how to become independent, responsible and active members of their communities.” Christine Rhomberg, Director for Community Arts & Culture at the Hilti Foundation, further explains: “Those who have the talent to pursue a professional career as musicians take a more holistic approach. They see their future not only on the stages of famous concert halls, but bring music into society and to a wider audience, representing a new image of musicians of the 21st century.”

Superar means overcoming challenges

The idea of music for social change was born in Venezuela in the 1970s and has since spread globally and inspired other programs. Every program looks a little different by responding to the specific local needs, but they all share the basic idea of learning in groups and use music as an enabler for children whose opportunities might otherwise be limited.

The social music program Superar offers children and youths free music education irrespective of their socio-economic background, to equip them with essential skills to fulfil their potential and develop themselves as young leaders and decision makers.

Like Superar, jointly founded in Austria by the Vienna Boys’ Choir, the Vienna Konzerthaus and Caritas Vienna. This program aims to improve social integration through music education and mainly addresses school classes with a high proportion of children from immigrant background. “Thanks to the Hilti Foundation as one of our financial partners, we were able to start the program ten years ago”, remembers Gerald Wirth, Artistic Director and President of the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

Learning in groups strengthens social skills, and regular public performances enable the young artists of social music programs, like Superar, to grow beyond themselves.

Giving public concerts, and being on stage, is an integral part of the Superar methodology. Performing for the first time in a concert hall in front of 2000 people, that’s “superar”, that’s outgrowing oneself. Because it means overcoming fears or shyness and developing self-consciousness. And when the children are on stage, everyone comes to watch, which not only creates pride and recognition for the children. A father, an immigrant from Turkey, proudly looks at his daughter singing on stage and is also proud of himself: “I have lived in this city for 20 years and I have never been to this concert hall. For me, it was a house for a select elite of concert goers, not for people like us. Today, it's our house so too because our children are performing on stage.” It’s a great example of how music for social change programs not only empower the children, but also positively impact families and the community. Gerald Wirth concludes: “Our goal is that what we achieve with Superar becomes so important that the government will incorporate it in public education.”

The transformational impact of music education

The Hilti Foundation’s approach requires its projects to be relevant for their individual or specific sector, to bring systemic change or to help improve the programs sustainably. Therefore, the foundation closely collaborates with the program directors and supports strategically wherever possible, whether it’s related to management, organization, or fundraising. “The strong network in the field of music, which we have been able to create over the years, is extremely helpful. Especially when it comes to building bridges between the social music programs and the established music sector,” adds Christine Rhomberg.

As part of the Firebird Fellowship, young music teachers learn to take a more holistic and innovative approach in music education. Rheinau/Switzerland, 2021

The experience of many years supporting different programs of the social music sector in South Africa, South America and Europe, has shown a strong need for ongoing teacher training all over the world. The explanation is simple: The focus lies on teaching the students to play their instrument. But there is a distinct lack of teacher training in music institutions that prepares graduates to be effective and inspiring teachers. A 2018 global network study conducted in Vienna supports this assumption: The three biggest needs in the sector are finance, ongoing teacher training and collaboration among programs.

Driving for systemic positive change in the music for social change field, the Hilti Foundation started to work on a new initiative and in 2020 founded the Academy for Impact through Music (AIM). With a focus on teacher training, leadership and impact measurement, AIM established a teacher training program called the Firebird Fellowship to formalize their support for teachers at the forefront of innovative music education.

Because that’s what music for social change is all about: empowering children and young people in music and above all for life. Like Laura said: “Whatever you do in life, you should do it as good as possible. That’s what brought me to where I am today!”

Final concert of the Firebird Fellowship, organized and held by AIM in Rheinau/Switzerland, 2021.

The Hilti Foundation music education programs

In South America, the Hilti Foundation supports Fundación Papageno in Chile, Fundación Bravura in Bolivia, Iberacademy Medellín in Colombia, El Sistema in Venezuela and Sinfonía por el Perú. The programs in Europe are El Sistema Greece, the Roma project Elijah in Transylvania, as well as Superar Austria and Superar Swiss. Finally, in South Africa, the foundation works with the Mangaung String Program.

Methodology of the Music for Social Change programs

Sinfonía por el Perú, Manchay Lima/Peru, 2013.

Unlike in traditional music schools, the children and young people learn musical fundamentals in small groups and soon after become part of an ensemble or an orchestra. They learn that in an ensemble everybody counts and often become aware of their importance for the first time in their lives. Young people grow into active listeners, gain self-confidence, and learn about responsibility and reliability. This helps them overcome some of the major challenges that prevent children and young people from reaching their full potential.