New year 2021

Annette Dannecker and Paola De Luca - Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, we wish you all the best for the New Year, and take with us all that we have learned from the difficult past year into the new one, in the hope that the situation will soon improve and musical life will resume.

The year 2020 was shaped by the Covid-19 crisis, which kept us on our toes for months. At the same time, major structural changes have been introduced at the SSPM, aimed at making the association more flexible so that it can react more quickly to current situations and difficulties. Exchanges between sections and with the central association are also being encouraged.

As a result, the Delegates' Meeting dealt with important business in 2020, despite the fact that it was conducted by correspondence for the first time in the association's 128-year history.

It was decided to halve the number of delegates to 24 (to date); the Delegates' Meeting will also be held every six months, as will the Presidents' Conference. These changes are in line with the results of the "Structures" working group set up by the 2019 Delegates' Meeting.

In addition, co-repetition teachers and holders of a Master's degree in music mediation are now also eligible for membership of the association. Delegates also voted in favor of SSPM representation on the Board of Directors of the "Musique et Formation" pension fund, advocating a move away from fossil fuel investments and towards investments in sustainable products.

We should also mention a modification to the by-laws, which now allows the central committee to set up specialized commissions on an ad hoc or permanent basis. This became necessary after the "Structures" working group saw fit to include a departmental structure in the association. Implementation will take place this year.

Another project soon to be completed is the launch of a new website which, in addition to a modern design, will offer considerably expanded interaction options.

Last year, the SSPM applied for its first subsidy from the Federal Office of Culture. Our members broadly correspond to the majority of professional musicians in Switzerland, most of whom earn their living by teaching, but often also give concerts. In order to be able to adequately represent this professional group and to further the professionalization of the association, the SSPM has applied for these grants. A decision is expected in the spring.

The 2020 Presidents' Conference decided that the "Structures and Communication" working group should continue to exist, and that this year it should develop strategies to improve internal and external communication, promote the establishment of a low-threshold online concert agency, and finalize SSPM quality management.

All of this is aimed at a greater and more active presence in the musical landscape. The SSPM needs to present itself in a fresh, new way, with strong content and as a reliable partner for partner associations and the public.

Continuing education is another focus this year. In addition to proposals from the sections, the central association is continuing its Alexander Technique and Non-Violent Communication courses. In addition, workshops on digital media in the classroom and on pension fund and other issues are planned.

Hearing protection in the classroom is an important but often neglected subject. The SSPM is part of a SUVA working group and will be offering further information and training on this subject in due course.

So we begin a new year with these many innovations, but also with confidence and dynamism (not forgetting, of course, the Covid crisis, which remains our priority until the situation improves).

We wish you, dear members, a fruitful year, and hope that you will be able to implement your projects.