Exchanging news, reminiscing about old times, meeting old friends
Our seventh major alumni get-together was held on 23 June 2018. It was a particularly emotional event for the SchuMu Big Band, which was celebrating its 20th birthday.
Around 140 former students returned to their alma mater, where much had changed over the past few years. The day got started in the cafeteria by the park, where the accordion duo ‘con:trust’ opened the alumni get-together. After being greeted by the university’s management, former students then used the time for an in-depth catch-up, over delicious snacks and refreshing drinks. There were lots of touching scenes of reunion, and plenty of witty anecdotes to embellish the afternoon.
The musical highlight was the concert in the Festsaal Fürstenhaus, by the SchuMu Big Band, which was a particularly special occasion for the musicians and their conductor, Professor Gero Schmidt-Oberländer: the band also celebrated their 20th birthday on the evening. The evening before, 15 former students, and some current band members, met for a joint jam session in the ensemble room Am Palais.
Then, all the alumni attended the celebratory concert and cheered the band’s current members on. The day after the alumni get-together, there was a second helping of school music. Eight former band members and a large swathe of its current members formed the ‘Schul Very Big Band’, offering a performance for a spontaneous audience of at least 150 people in Weimar’s market square.