The "For Real" Feeling
I have been working with children since 2005. I’ve coached them for big musicals like The Sound of Music and Annie, and I’ve led the youngest spirits in Kamnik. But when I stepped into the Music Conservatory in Ljubljana in 2024, it felt different. It felt, for lack of a better word, "for real."
There is a unique weight to teaching kids who are already musicians—children who are there to balance the joy of play with the discipline of an artist.
Starting from Nine
When I took over, the choir was at a crossroads. Because school choirs naturally cycle as children grow and move on, I found myself standing in front of just nine singers.
In an institution that houses world-class ensembles under the baton of Ambrož Čopi, the pressure was on. I didn't just want to "keep the seat warm"; I wanted to build. We started from scratch. We worked on the fundamentals of breath and listening. Slowly, those nine voices grew into a full choir. We pushed through the challenge of teaching young children three-part harmonies—a task that requires immense focus—and they rose to it beautifully.
The Sound of Growth
Our progress wasn't just measured in numbers, but in moments:
• St. Jakob Church: Performing at the Christmas concert alongside Ambrož Čopi. Even as a smaller group at the time, their voices filled the church with a clarity that was purely "for real."
• Baba Yetu & Strings: Performing with the string orchestra allowed the kids to feel the power of a larger ensemble. Hearing them tackle the complex rhythms of Baba Yetu showed me just how much their "vocal muscles" had grown.
• The Festival Circuit: From the local Pomladna prepevanja in Ljubljana to the prestigious Youth Choir Festival in Celje (Mladinski pevski festival Celje), where we had the distinct honor of opening an evening—a stage that has hosted the best young voices in the region for decades.
Pushing Boundaries: New Music & Brass
Perhaps the most exciting part of 2024 was being part of the living history of Slovenian music. We gave the first performances of new works by the wonderful Katarina Pustinek Rakar.
And to top it off? We stepped into the studio to record a new piece with the Slovenian Philharmonic Brass section. Seeing my students stand tall and hold their own alongside professional musicians from the Philharmonic was a "full circle" moment for me.
The Lesson
They say a conductor leads the music, but in 2024, these kids led me. They reminded me that it doesn’t matter if you start with nine or ninety—what matters is the willingness to build, harmony by harmony.