On Sunday morning, 881 students looked forward to receiving their diplomas in music from the UGDA School of Music.The interest for music is still there, even among the youngsters. Yet, UGDA is facing new challenges.
According to president Gilbert Girsch, UGDA is doing well with 5,700 new subscriptions for the year 2017/2018. The number of students has thus remained stable. When dealing with the board of directors however, UGDA may have more of a battle on their hands. They are lacking in volunteers, one of the reasons why Girsch took over as president after Martine Deprez resigned. If they are unable to find a someone willing to take on the position of president, Girsch will consider staying on in the role after 2020.
With regards to the interest in music shown by the younger generation, no complaints can be made. 14% of children attending the classes are between 5 and 6 years old, so the next generation is accounted for. According to the director of UGDA, to ensure that more young children join the music classes, the school needs to make classes more accessible. Among other things this involves a closer collaboration with the so-called Maison Relais in primary schools so that music can take on a greater role. The school is also conscious that it must be doing more to make music affordable for all.
