The
story
At the 150th jubilee of Hohner in September 2007 the Minister
of economies of Baden Württemberg, Ernst Pfister, bet that
if Hohner will succeed in repairing the old siren of the company
and if he could hear the sound of it once more, he’ll walk
from Trossingen to his office in Stuttgart. Of course the siren
got repaired and then the Minister had to walk!
Hohner decided to use this opportunity to set-up a project to
promote playing accordions and harmonicas and strengthen the brand
image. To walk the whole route of approximately 100 km is too
long, it was divided in 5 daily stages. At every start and finish
place there’ll be music: orchestras, school classes, artists
and associations represented.
This creates an ideal platform for orchestras, to promote themselves.
Schools and teachers are also involved and trained in advance.
They get a certain amount of special “Pfister” harmonicas
for students to learn how to play the specially composed “Pfister
Blues”. Besides Ernst Pfister different prominent people,
like e.g. local politicians are helping to build the promotion.
Local dealers are integrated by Musik-Meyer to exhibit and to
sell instruments and sell music lessons. SONOR is also involved
by doing a prize competition as an attraction.
1. Stage: 26 April 2008 from Trossingen to Rottweil
2. Stage: 27 April 2008 from Oberndorf Bochingen to Sulz
3. Stage: 08 June 2008 from Gomaringen to Pliezhausen
4. Stage: 28 June 2008 from Bietigheim to Ludwigsburg
5. Stage: 29 June 2008 inside Stuttgart from the castle Solitude
to the “Landtag”
Objectives of this project
- Promotion of the music with accordions and harmonicas
- Presentation of the instruments with a young and modern image
- Show people how easy it is to play harmonica
- Support the idea to give every child the opportunity to learn
an instrument
- Politically promoted by Mr Pfister and Mr Burgbacher
- Gain of contacts to schools, teachers and associations
Inform, train and equip teachers with harmonicas in order to use
this instrument in their lessons, to make the harmonica a school
instrument
- Creation of a platform, where accordion orchestras can present
themselves
- Generate a pilot project for further educational programmes
in cooperation with the DHV
Official start of project
The project started officially on 2nd of April 2008 with the waking
up of the Minister with the siren. Therefore the siren was brought
to the street where the Minister lives in Trossingen, the press
was invited as well as key people of Trossingen. The start signal
was given.
The event was very successful even it took place at 6.00 am! Approximately
50 visitors have been in front of the Mr Pfister’s house
and have been happy to see the minister coming outside playing
his Hohner-Pfister accordion. After an introduction speech of
the Hohner Management by Klaus Stetter, Mister Pfister was live
interviewed by radio.
Then the whole crowd played together the especially for the Walk
composed melody the “Pfister Blues”. Minister Pfister
received the official Pfister Harmonica and a Hohner Rucksack.
 The
first stage from Trossingen over Lauffen to Rottweil
On 26th of April 2008 there was meeting point at 10.00 o’clock
in front of the town hall.
Due to the high press response, Mr Pfister was joined by his party
friend Ernst Burgbacher, M.P., President BDO and Volker Kauder,
M.P., Secretary of the CDU who announced his visit just one day
before the start. This helped again to get press articles in newspapers
across the country, also several radio stations sent live reports.
It all started again with the siren. A lot of people came to see
and hear “The Harmonics”, the “Hohnerklang”
orchestra as well as some prepared school classes and of course
the minister Ernst Pfister. More than 100 pupils played the “Pfister
Blues”.
Highlight was Jérôme Richard with his virtuso and
modern accordion playing.
Walter Frevert, a good known radio moderator managed the programme,
interviewed different guests and entertained the crowd.
A harmonica workshop showed the people the easy way how to play
and learn this instrument. They all together played the Pfister
Blues on the Pfister harmonicas.
The prize competition from Hohner and Sonor with helium balloons
attracted many children. The winner situation is in the internet
and up-dated ongoing. In addition to that the local dealer exhibited
and sold Hohner instruments.
Before the group started to hike, the tour guide of the “Schwäbischer
Albverein” explained the route and played a song on his historical
Hohner accordion.
At 11 o’clock the hiking group around the minister started
with approximately 70 people to Lauffen. Among the walkers there’ve
also been members of the Hohner management as well as employees.
In Lauffen the local accordion association played for the group
and served lunch.
Later the day, after approximately 15 km at 4.00 pm the group
reached their finish in Rottweil. The programme, moderated by
Walter Frevert was already running to entertain the numerous visitors.
Again Jérôme Richard filled the people with enthusiasm
with his music.
A local orchestra played and a chorus of young pupils performed.
In addition the harmonica workshop animated very successful the
whole crowd to play together the Pfister Blues.
The second stage from Oberndorf Bochingen over Sigmarswangen to
Sulz
The second stage on 27th of April 2008 started with two specialities:
after a visit of the monument of Hermann Schittenhelm – the
first conductor of the famous “Hohner Accordion Orchester
– the former company orchestra and constitutor of the German
accordion movement- the Minister and his walking group went to
church.
After that Thomas Schmelze – the man who reached the accordion
world record in non stop playing with Hohner support in November
2007 – had organized an event in the vestry of Oberndorf-Bochingen.
Musical entertainment was offered by the local accordion orchestra,
Jérôme Richard and the harmonica workshop took place.
With about 50 hikers the group walked to Sigmarswangen. In the
middle of green fields and trees they had a very pictorial and
musical picknick.
Finish of the second stage after 11 km was in Sulz: there the
40 years jubilee event of the accordion group in the music association
of Sulz took place. The vestry was already pretty crowded when
Pfister and his group came.
Walter Frevert moderated and interviewed guests, Jérôme
Richard and a chorus performed and the harmonica workshop took
place. The children chorus spontaneously showed big interest in
using harmonicas in their music education and the support could
be set-up immediately. The prize competition attracted again a
lot of children.
The
third stage will take place on 8th of June in Gomaringen, Kusterdingen
and Pliezhausen.
Many different accordion orchestras will play and Walter Frevert
will do the moderation again. Of course our highlights like Jérôme
Richard, the prize competition and the harmonica workshop won’t
be missing. As well as on the next two stages. Also the press
work will continue!
The
fourth stage will start in Bietigheim-Bissingen on 28th of June,
where an official music festival will be held. It’s a big
event with high frequency of Hohner’s target group. The “Landes-Musik-Festival”
attracts about 20.000 visitors.
Later that day the walk will lead to another big event, the “Marktplatzfest”
in Ludwigsburg. More than 60 associations will participate.
At both events Hohner will do a lot of advertising and animate
many people to join the harmonica workshop to show the easy way
how to learn this instrument and school classes will learn harmonica
playing to support Mr Pfister.
The fifth stage on 29th of June will be at different famous places
in Stuttgart, e.g. places were a lot of families and their children
spend their day and make weekend excursions.
It’ll start at the castle “Solitude” and end in
the middle of Stuttgart at the “Schlossplatz”.
This day will also be the final game of the European Championship
of football, a top awareness event. After long negotiation it
was managed that the Public Viewing Place in Stuttgart can be
used as stage for the final event.
Notes_for_pfister_blues.pdf |
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