Regional meeting at European level

Twenty-five European countries with some 6,000 music schools are represented in the EMU. Members meet at the Annual General Meeting and at regional meetings. ASEM committee members take part in meetings of the regional groups Onda Latina (France, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland) and LLACHD (Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Germany). In mid-December 2023, ten representatives of the LLACHD group travelled to Lucerne, where they visited the Kampus Südpol premises and discussed current projects in the various countries. The shortage of qualified staff in music schools and the structural reasons behind it, which sometimes differ greatly from one country or region to another, were among the topics discussed most intensively. As several of the participants confirmed, the discussions during the day and a half spent together were very intense. "It's good to know that others are facing similar challenges," noted Friedrich-Koh Dolge, Director of the Stuttgart School of Music and one of the co-founders of the LLACHD group, "the exchange provided us with good political arguments." Nadine Eder, director of the music school in Echternach (Luxembourg), who attended the meeting for the first time, also appreciated the exchange. "We work on the same subjects, but always with different ground rules", she said. A stroll through the Christmas market on Pilatusplatz and a dinner together provided a moment of relaxation.