Our academic musical ensembles never sound sweeter than at Christmastime - you could rephrase the Christmas classic like that. Because around the holidays, Magdeburg University's orchestra and Big Band traditionally treat us to festive and jubilant concerts. In order for the notes to be played in harmony, the members not only have to have talent, but also have to rehearse together. In our new issue of  "In die Uni reingehört", students Siska Müller and Luise Rudolph report on how this works during the Corona pandemic, whether their stamina also comes in handy during their studies, and how to play in musical ensembles.

Guest today

Since she was four years old, Luise Rudolph has been on the stages that mean the world to her. The singer of the university Big Band is studying educational science for her bachelor's degree and has been part of the musical combo since 2018. She particularly remembers the performance with Lisa Bassenge on the lawn of the FestungMark, the Christmas concert at the OliKino in 2019 and the end-of-semester concert in 2020 in Lecture Hall 6, which was filled to the brim with audience members.

Siska Müller's talent can be heard in the Academic Orchestra. The cultural engineering student has already tried out a few things: Home organ, church organ, piano. She stuck with the flute. When she started her studies in 2017, she saw on the Internet that there was an academic orchestra at the University of Magdeburg and was eager to join - in the summer of 2018, the time had finally come.

 *the audio file is only available in German

The Podcast to Read

Intro voice: Listening to the podcast about the world of work at OVGU!

(Piece of music is played)

Ina: And with this catchy Christmas tune, I would like to welcome you to a new episode of our internal podcast "Listen in on the University". My name is Ina Götze and for the musical delight, we can thank Siska and Luise. Not only do they study with us, they are also members of our Academic Orchestra and our Big Band, respectively, who always delight us with great concerts around Christmas time. And to get a glimpse behind the scenes of our musical ensembles, I invited the two of them. Welcome you two!

Siska: Hello!

Luise: Hello!

Ina: When you're not making music for us, what are you doing at the university? So maybe introduce yourselves one after the other, so that our listeners know who they are dealing with.

Siska: Yes, so I am a Siska. I am in the academic orchestra here in Magdeburg and I play the flute and at the university, I study Cultural Engineering and sometimes I am a Hiwine.

Ina: What do you mean sometimes?

Siska: That's not so many hours a week, is 10 hours a week. Exactly.

Ina: Very nice!

Luise: And I am Luise. I study education here at the university and sing in the university Big Band.

Ina: How long have you been making music and have you always... Have you always sung Luise and have you always played the flute, Siska? Or did you also play double bass or... I don't know, did you ever sing heavy metal or whatever?

Siska: Then I just start. I've been making music longer than I've been playing the flute, I started playing the home organ and that's actually the worst instrument, I think so in retrospect. Exactly, then at some point I started to play the flute and after the home organ I played the church organ and the piano. And I also still sing in the choir and somehow I make music all the time and addition, I'm in in the orchestra.

Ina: How big is such a home organ?

Siska: Quite small, actually, you can imagine it as a keyboard with two stands and a small pedal on it.

Ina: But does it sound genuine? It sounds like an organ?

Siska: No, not at all. It just sounds like a bad keyboard.

Ina: So one should play the keyboard?

Siska: Yes, you can do it, it's easier.

Ina: And you, Luise?

Luise: So I started in the music school Fröhlich, which is known to many, when I was small in kindergarten. Then I played the accordion for 12 years, which is the standard instrument there, but you were also allowed to sing. Exactly, that's what I liked to do the most. Yes exactly, already as a child. I think I stood on a big stage for the first time when I was four.

Ina: Respect! At the age of four?

Luise: That was very cute. So when I look at the videos now.

Ina: Also very brave as a four year old. So even as an adult... but as a four-year-old, not bad, not bad. Did you know before your studies that we had a big band or an orchestra? And was that perhaps the deciding factor in saying: I want to study there?

Luise: Not for me, I didn't even know beforehand that there was such a big band here. I didn't even know there was a big band here until after my first semester; I wanted to find my way around and see what was going at the university. And then I thought to myself: See if you can still make music somehow and then I came across the big band via Facebook. But I didn't know that before.

Ina: Where are you originally from? From Magdeburg?

Luise: No, from near Halle. You can hear that, I think.

Siska: Yes, I actually knew that there was an orchestra here before I started my studies, because I was explicitly looking for a place where I could make music. But that was not the reason why I came to Magdeburg.

Ina: Many universities have orchestras... So it was the study program that attracted you. That will make our student marketing very happy. Why do you think it's important for academic ensembles to exist and for the university to support them?<

Siska Yes, I would say that we are quite a cultural enrichment for the university. It is also rather a technical university. So, there are a lot of technical courses and I think we bring a little contrast, which is also important, I think.

Luise: I also see it that way. Also simply as a place, I think with you even more. That there are also many people from different courses of study meet, also so an exchange arises and also of course friendships are made. Help is also found for questions that don't necessarily concern the course of study itself. That's also a great thing. And just as you said: Music is no longer a subject at the university, or there are fewer artistic fields of study here. But, I think there are great opportunities for everyone.

Ina: Yes, a nice change. Do you feel supported by our university or are there things where you would say that you need help in certain areas?

Siska: Well, on the whole I think we are well supported for our orchestra. We also get the money we need and are financially secured, so to speak. And yes, but of course there are always a couple of things, over the semester, that annoy you, which is perhaps also due to the university as a large institution in itself. For example, we've had a few problems with room planning, because we've been looking for a new room for our orchestra. There aren't that many rooms at the university that we could use, that would be suitable for us. And then the room planning is always a bit tricky, because we are an orchestra and we make noise. And that's also totally problematic at 8 p.m. in the evening.

Luise: Yeah, so we're lucky enough to have a band room that we can use permanently. That's why we're not really in touch with space planning. We feel very well supported. It's just an insane opportunity, also our conductor Peter Ewald is a professional musician and to be able to say that: We practice or we train with a professional musician, is really great. We also had our workshop for the whole Big Band yesterday and invited other musicians. And it's great to hear what projects they're doing, some of which you know from radio and television. It's a great thing that the university really supports us with. 

Ina: Yes, it's a good way to get ahead. Have you found a band room now? That is perhaps the most important question. Not band room, but orchestra rehearsal room.

Siska: So we had a room the whole time and then we go there on Wednesday and all of a sudden there were people and we were like "Why are there people?" Unfortunately, there was a class in there all of a sudden. And then, we realized: Well, the room is somehow not free anymore, there was a misunderstanding and now we are looking again. It doesn't stop.

Ina: It doesn't stop... But spatial planning is basically a difficult undertaking, it has to be said. I don't want to do that either, I'll be honest. So to have everyone under one umbrella and the individual rooms and capacity and now with Corona. I hope you find a rehearsal room again soon.

Siska: Yes, we hope so too. I think we can still rehearse a bit in H1 at the moment, let's see how it turns out…

Ina: Personally, I am the most unmusical person I know. So I can't read music, I can't keep time, I can't even recognize a beat, I must say. I don't play any instruments. I actually tried guitar once, to the chagrin of my neighbors. I failed. How much talent does one have to have to join you guys? Or could one perhaps also learn an instrument with you first?

Luise: Unfortunately, we don't have the capacity to teach people the instrument from scratch. So you should already know how to hold it.

Ina: That's where it all starts.

Luise: And we also have people who say they've only been doing it for a year or a year and a half, and it works quite well with guitar, for example. Then you can pick up tips from people who have been doing it for a while and are good at it. But teaching notes from scratch or music theory – unfortunately we don't have the capacity for that.

Ina: That works quite well with guitar, she says. And I feel really bad because I played really, really badly.

Luise: If the people who come to us can already do that a bit, then we can have a look: How do you finger the chord? And you can certainly give them quick tips like that. But to really explain from scratch what strings are or how tones work, I think that's beyond the scope.

Siska: Yes, that's actually exactly how it is with us. I would say that talent is relative, and perhaps you can't necessarily judge that now. And of course there are also differences in the level of the people who participate with us, who then also give each other tips. And yes, but you should really be able to play your instrument reasonably well with us, because yes, we can't do that because of the size that we have and the few rehearsals during the semester. So, we simply don't have the capacity to deal with people individually. 

Ina: How many people are playing with you? Siska: At the moment, we are quite small and are about 30/35, I think. Yes, we were also once at 50 people.

Ina: What is the reason?

Siska: Through Corona, it's just... Well, we generally have a high turnover, simply because we consist mainly of students and they finish at some point. Now relatively many have finished and yes, but during Corona we just didn't get any new people and again this semester and now we are a bit smaller.

Ina: Okay, so a call to all those who want to participate, who can already play an instrument or don't have to learn it first. Please contact the orchestra and you in the Big Band are you looking for musicians?

Luise: Yes, of course! First and foremost, this is a call out to the trombones here. We need trombones very, very urgently!

Siska: Us too!

Ina: Now there is a battle for the trombones!

Luise: But we are also two different styles, we cover everything. We are more jazz and in that direction and academic orchestra is another…

Siska: And if you can't get enough, you can just go to both.

Ina: That's right, if the training dates don't overlap, then…

Luise: They don't.

Ina: The trombones have a lot of work to do. It's not just students who play or participate with you, but also employees. How is that for you? Do you get a little insight into what it's like to work at the university?

Siska: Well, I don't think there are that many employees here at the moment, and if there are, then most of them are doctors. But yes, we are an orchestra and we are simply a social group and they are treated no differently than the students. And yes, then you somehow develop acquaintances and friendships. And of course, you also exchange ideas about things that concern your work or your studies. I think some people can get tips from time to time from people who are already further along somewhere. And yes, it's actually a nice thing. So also in general that you somehow have such an influence from different courses of study and not just always buzzing around in your course of study bubble.

Luise: Yes, we also have employees from the university, including a professor. That's... I think I would find it strange if I had a lecture with him now, but I don't, it's a completely different area. But yes, as you say, it's such a group. A few of us are also writing doctoral theses or are employed at the university. That's also interesting, as I said. You can exchange ideas there: How does a doctoral thesis actually work? In the Bachelor's degree or so, that's still totally far away or not even tangible for you. And you learn quite a bit about it. And we are all on a first-name basis. Maybe it's a bit funny, because at the beginning you didn't know: Who are you, what are you doing here? And then, somehow you find out: I'm a doctor, I'm a professor.

Ina: For the actual exchange, I imagine that would be really exciting. And maybe, it also makes the university a bit more personal overall, as a whole community. You need a lot of stamina to learn an instrument. Maybe that's why I failed. You don't know. At least in the musical area I don't have it. Does this ambition to learn an instrument also help you in your studies? Or are you like me? I am musically unambitious. Can't you transfer that. <

Luise: I can't quite... Well, I meant earlier that I learned the accordion. It wasn't my favorite instrument. I don't have an accordion anymore. That says a lot, but I always wanted to sing and singing was such a passion or something, I didn't have to put pressure on myself "You have to practice now" - I just wanted to do that and the ambition was there and I didn't need any external motivation. And I think that it can also be like that in your studies, if you really have a course of study that interests you, that you like to do, where you burn for it, then I think the ambition is also there. Of course, if you torture yourself with something that doesn't really interest you, then you have to motivate yourself more and more. I can't say this for an instrument right now, but...

Luise: I would just go along with that. For me, it is somehow so that I am not necessarily the most ambitious in my studies. Because there are some subjects that just don't interest me that much, but I still have to do them and I struggle through them. And of course, there are times when you're learning an instrument, even if you like doing it, when you think to yourself: "Oh no, I just don't feel like it anymore. I don't want to do it anymore, I'm going to quit everything." So when I was younger, my parents forced me a lot. In the meantime, I've managed to do it myself and I also realize that I can't do without music. But yes, in my studies... I don't know if I can muster the same ambition there.

Ina: Oh yeah, okay, so it's the passion. So I don't have a passion for playing guitar. That's okay then. Did you ever have moments in which you wanted to stop and what made you then persevere?

Luise: Yes, totally.

Siska: Yes, definitely.

Luise: So especially in music school I often wanted to stop. But yes, I think that parents at this early age, in childhood they simply say "No, you keep practicing-keep going" and then you continue and somhow you get better.

Ina: If mom says so…

Luise: Today I am also grateful, because there were many experiences, like in the summer camp. We went abroad, which I wouldn't have done otherwise... Who goes to Sweden alone for a week when she/he is 15 or 16 and tours with her/his friends in the orchestra where I was. So that's a super great experience that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I'm super grateful for that. But at some point I also said to myself, I want to do something else now and I think that's also good to say, I'm not doing that anymore - the band or the combo or the project and then find something new. But I think to stop so completely, you should think hard about it.

Siska: Yes, totally. I notice that about myself, too. I used to play the home organ.

Ina: I heard about that…

Siska: And at some point I really didn't enjoy it anymore. But then I switched to the church organ, so I upgraded. And yes, my parents then encouraged me a little bit when I was going through puberty and didn't feel like it anymore to keep doing it. And I'm totally grateful for that now, because I really enjoy it from the inside out. I have a passion for it and now I can go anywhere and say, "Hey, I can play the flute and I can play the organ. And I can do stuff with it that's just cool." And you also get to know a lot of people through music. It's just really enjoyable.

Ina: It's also a nice balance, I think. So you can process your emotions through singing and playing the instrument. That's why I tried it playing the guitar, but also as mentioned, has not worked. There is a difference whether I play my instrument or sing alone in my little chamber or whether I do it in a collective. How does that work? Or how often do you have to practice so that you work well as a team?

Siska: Yes, we rehearse in the orchestra once a week. That's actually not that often. And then we also have a rehearsal weekend. That's where I just came from. That's once a semester. That's when the rehearsal phase is a bit more intensive. But we simply don't make it much more often, because of course we have all kinds of other things to do. And then, of course, you have to do a little bit yourself for the orchestra at home and practice a little bit and look at the pieces. Yes, but I think that's how you actually make an effort for the team and try to be as good as possible so that everything sounds good overall.

Luise: Exactly, it's similar with us, we also have rehearsals once a week, always on Mondays, and we also have such rehearsals on weekends, we call them workshops. We also had our workshop yesterday, that's funny. And exactly, then sometimes we also go away and then we really have in the individual groups, so groups are where the saxophones train together, the trumpets, rhythm group, that then again a more intensive exchange or training can take place and then in the rehearsals we all play together. And of course, sometimes people meet each other and say, "Oh, can we play through this again together or can we practice this again?" Or the singers, right now we are just girls, meet with the pianist and practice our voices again. That also happens, sometimes individually, sometimes together with someone or of course completely in tutti. That's what it's called.

Ina: In Tutti?

Luise: When everyone plays together.

Ina: Again, I've learned something. During the lockdown you rehearsed via zoom. How was that for you? And do you have to switch back to it right now?

Siska: Well, zoom sessions are just somehow not the same. Our conductor took a lot of trouble and made it as pleasant as possible, I think. But then you just sit at home and listen to one voice. Or you play and only hear yourself and can't hear the others. And that's somehow... In the beginning it was totally strange and yes, it's just not the same as when you just sit together with everyone in a live rehearsal and hear everything and then you can also bring the piece to another level than via Zoom.

Luise: Exactly, because I think many people can't imagine it like that, because if everyone leaves their sound on, then it's just a really big mess. Because that doesn't work at all because of the transmission. In the second Corona semester, we switched to individual lessons, so to speak, and then had individual lessons from our lecturer Peter Ewald and were able to work on individual problems. Last year, we had the opportunity - not last year, this year in the summer - we had the opportunity to rehearse in front of the G18 under the tent. That was very nice. There were always a few people who came and watched. So we could be live again and didn't have to worry about the technical capabilities... But of course it's better than nothing. So at least you had the motivation to sit down with your instrument or voice and do something for the band.

Ina: Yes, so it's very important to listen correctly, because you also have to pay attention to each other when everyone plays at a different tempo or somehow diverges in time. Does that help you that you are so trained for group work, also in your studies, when you have to do projects together with others, or? Is that also something else?

Siska: So I find that it is somehow completely different, so if you have this classic group collaboration with a bad one somehow, where half do nothing at all, I think I'm just as overwhelmed as any other person.

Luise: Yes, I can't quite assess that somehow. So I think of course you are social when you play in a group and you also get along with many people. But I think that's a general personal attitude, whether you like to work with people or prefer to do your thing alone.

Ina: On 4th of December., hopefully, one must say - the recording takes place before - the Christmas concert of the Bigband takes place. They are currently still making all the adjustments. And hopefully, in January there will be the New Year's concert of our orchestra. What do you enjoy more? The performances or the rehearsals. 

Siska: Wow, it's hard to say. What's really fun are the rehearsal weekends, I think, where you rehearse very intensively, but also have intense camaraderie with the other people from the orchestra. I think it's similar with you guys in the Big Band, but you also kind of rehearse for the performances. That's the highlight at the end, and I think that's almost a bit more fun.

Luise: Hm, exactly, you always work towards something and that is of course always exciting and you always have the big goal in sight. But I personally think the performances are always great, especially because you're so excited. I also help organize the Big Band and do a lot of planning. And when everything goes well and everyone is where they're supposed to be, that's always great and the audience is happy and applauds and you all bow together at the end. Then everything falls away and you're really happy: now we've done it. It was really nice and you have such a great experience that you can look back on.

Ina: The reward for the hard work. Is it possible to listen to your music outside of concerts? So maybe you have channels where you upload something? Or is that really only possible via concerts?

Luise: So we also have an Instagram account, you can follow us there.

Siska: We also have an Instagram account.

Luise: Exactly, Sometimes, we upload little snippets of performances or so and we also have a YouTube channel. There are even our Christmas songs from 2019 from the Oli cinema.

Ina: Well, this is the season!

Luise: You can listen to something befitting Christmas.

Siska: We don't have that much to see or hear outside of our great concerts. But last year, as a result of the rehearsals from the semester, we recorded a video with a piece. You can watch and listen to it on Instagram and on our website. Otherwise, we are unfortunately only live in concert.

Ina: That's good too!

Siska: That is very exclusive I would say.

Ina: We actually shared the video on our Instagram account and I can simply embed it in our podcast on the website. You can also watch it there now if you scroll down further. How do you write your programs? So do you always have the same songs that you play? How do you choose them? Do you have evergreens that just can't be missed?

Siska: Our conductor, Mauro Mariani, always writes the program. And yes, he has a few criteria that he uses to select the pieces. For example, he pays attention to how many people we have in which voice group, what the instrumentation is in our orchestra and that he then involves as many people as possible. Sometimes that's a problem with the brass, for example. But we also sometimes lack vocals – we are totally understaffed. And he always tries to find a balance. And also the difficulty of the pieces is extremely important for us. So he always makes sure that it corresponds to our level. He picks out something that is maybe a little bit above our level, as a challenge. And then there's an easier piece for relaxation. Exactly. And yes, then there are things like wishes from the orchestra that might be taken into account and also the duration of the concert. So it can't go on forever now and it shouldn't be too short either. Now during Corona, it's rather short because we don't know if we can take a break. Or if we're allowed to give concerts at all.

Luise: That's similar with us. The program is always put together by the conductor, so to speak, we have a very large repertoire of sheet music, a whole closet full of sheet music, and then of course you can also ask around the band members to see if you can find something nice. It's also very interesting for the vocals to find pieces that also fit the pitch. The piece is there as it is and then you just have to adapt. But we also have requests... we can also express what we would like to play. Sometimes you hear somewhere that you say "Okay, it was done by another band. Would we like to do it too." There is also always the possibility to order sheet music. The evergreens are with us I think, so Valerie by Amy Winehouse and Rehab. Everybody always knows that and I think we play that a lot. Yes, the audience also finds that cool. We think that's cool, everybody thinks that's cool.

Ina: An evergreen that we can't do without is the "Long speech, short sense" section. At the end of the podcast, we always give our guests three sentence starters, which they then have to complete. And now, you have the honor too. Are you ready?

Siska: Is that so?

Ina: With the first one, I'm actually very curious to see what comes out of it now. If the university were an instrument, it would be…

Siska: So I would say something heavy, like a double bass.

Luise: I would have said a piano now because it's so versatile... although a piano doesn't have strings, but there are strings at the bottom of the box, they need to be tuned. So it's not so wrong. The Uni is a piano and very versatile.

Ina: As part of the Big Band, or Orchestra, I learned that...

Siska: … that I can still learn a lot.

Luise: … that it is something completely different to play in such a big band, with so many people than to make music as a duet or alone and that it is a great experience in which I take a lot of memories and experiences with me.

Ina: And last but not least: This song always puts me in a good mood…

Siska: Well, for me, it's not a classical piece, it's Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and you definitely have to sing along, completely.

Luise: I think Freddy Fischer, please listen to Freddy Fischer. He is a great singer and the song Disco Ball, you just have to dance

Ina: I'm going to fire this up right now after the recording, I'll get the disco ball out in my office. Thank you very, very much for being here today. Many thanks also to you out there in front of the speakers or with your headphones on. If you have any suggestions, topics, wishes, praise or criticism, please send them to We wish you and your family a fantastic holiday season and we say goodbye just as we greeted you, with a catchy tune. 

(Piece of music is played)

Outro voice: Listening to the podcast about the world of work at OVGU!