New children’s book by Marie-Luise Dingler

Marie-Luise Dingler is one half of the violin duo “The Twiolins” and published her first children’s book Hurra, wir spielen ein Konzert (Hooray, we are playing a concert) during lockdown. The book is also available in English via their webshop. In November 2022, Marie published her second book. An interview on her writing process, selfpublishing and musical characters in children’s book is now available in this blog (German only).

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Lockdown music tips

Another lockdown is in force in Austria. Again, amateur musicians are trapped inside their homes without any in-person lessons. Already in 2020, MUSEDU collected a number of free online resources we can use to stay motivated. Why not brush up your knowledge on music theory or music history with free online courses, so-called “MOOCs”, or YouTube tutorials? Check out our mini series “Time for Music”, Part I, Part II and Part III. (Please note that the corresponding full articles are in German, but all links provided lead to English language resources.)

Behind the scenes II

The Wiener Musikverein is famous all over the world: Its annual New Year’s Concert in the Golden Hall is broadcast to over 90 countries. Music lovers have probably already witnessed a concert at this famous venue – if only virtually. Recently, the MUSEDU team enjoyed a public guided tour and learned about fascinating details. Read all about this tour in the German version. If you are in Vienna and would like to take a guided tour yourself, you can find all the details on the website. (Tours are available on weekdays, in English and German.)

(Photo credit: ©Bwag/Commons)

“Lockdown songs” by kids

Sonja Ebert, a German guitarist and singer-songwriter, helped kids to write and perform their own lockdown songs. 16 children sing about penguins, the pandemic and missing their friends. The CD “Lockdown-Lieder” is available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon and Deezer. All profit goes to three charity organisations helping other children: Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, Feierwerk e.V. and Kindernothilfe. (Read the full article in German.)

Stay motivated: Join a music meetup

We have been sitting at home, alone with our instruments, for over a year now. Clearly, this makes it difficult for most of us to motivate ourselves and keep practising. The good news is: Many amateur music groups are still very active. They organise online get-togethers for playing and chatting, they host charity events and even recitals.

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Books for music lovers – Part I

Kazuo Ishiguro: Nocturnes. Five Stories of Music and Nightfall

Many writers are either musicians themselves or music plays an important part in their works. Kazuo Ishiguro, who was awarded the Nobel prize in literature 2017, is one of them. He dreamed about becoming a musician when he was young, and he occasionally writes lyrics for singers. “Read with your ears“, says a journalist about one of his books, which felt to her like “a seat at a concert.”

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