In this section we have compiled information for parents who are considering sending their daughter or son to the Falun Conservatory of Music. For instance, you can read about the curriculum and our social responsibility, comments from other parents and about the difference between the Conservatory and other schools. Click on the link you are interested in!

• Comments from parents

In this section you will find comments from other parents. We have asked some parents from various parts of Sweden, whose children recently completed their upper secondary education at the Falun Conservatory of Music, to write a few lines just for you. They have written about things that they thought might interest other parents. Through them you may learn something about having your child at our school.

Här nedan har följande föräldrar uttalat sig om skolan:
1. Birgitta Yman, (Borås)
2. Maria och Olof Bendz, (Enköping)
3. Barbro och Carl-Arne Bertilsson, (Ljungby)
4. Inga-Lena och Roland Liljenberg, (Uppsala)
5. Eva och Magnus Quennerstedt, (Uppsala)
6. Per och Eva Nordén, (Trensum)
7. Rolf och Anita Hansen, (Mjölby)
8. Liv Meidell och Staffan Blylod

Birgitta Yman, Borås 7 december 2005
We live in Borås, which is a medium-size town that has a large Cultural School. I am a flute teacher and the conductor of a choir and an orchestra there, and so we took it for granted that our three daughters participated in the activities at the school. That provided them with a good basis to continue playing an instrument.

Right from the start all three of them preferred classical music. Two of them have the double bass as their principal instrument and the third one’s instrument is the cello.

When our eldest daughter Jenny was in the 9th grade and it was time to choose an upper secondary education, we found that there was an upper secondary school with a specially designed programme for classical music, located in Falun.

The curriculum, as well as the ideas behind their teaching, suited us so we decided that she should apply to this programme, despite the fact that Falun was far away from Borås.

Jenny was accepted, and since the school in Falun had so much more to offer than the arts programme in Borås, we decided that we would try to deal with her moving away from home at such an early age. Jenny finished her upper secondary education in Falun, proceeded to the College of Music in Stockholm and then on to HdK in Berlin. She is now permanently employed with the Göteborg Symphony Orchestra.

It certainly is tough for a sixteen-year old to move away from home and manage daily life on her own, but we saw the advantages of the programme in Falun as well as the good results. So when the next daughter, Anna-Cecilia, decided to tread the same path we never hesitated. Naturally, she also experienced that it is not so easy to be on your own at an early age, but the school staff are aware of these problems and offer their support whenever it is needed.

After finishing her upper secondary programme she is presently a student in the double-bass class at the College of Music in Göteborg, aiming for a life as a professional musician. When it was time for our third daughter, Amanda, to apply to an upper secondary programme, we never considered any alternatives – the Falun Conservatory of Music was our natural choice. At present, Amanda is a first-year student and we look forward to several more enjoyable years…

The programme at the Falun Conservatory of Music has breadth and depth that suits those who want to prepare for a life as a musician, and the company of like-minded fellow students is a great advantage. It provides necessary basic knowledge of the core subjects while at the same time goal-oriented daily music practise is stimulated. We therefore truly hope that The Falun Conservatory of Music will be able to continue its work undisturbed without being hit by budget cuts or trends that would reduce the scope for classical music.

Kind regards Birgitta Yman, teacher at the Borås Cultural School and mother of three happy students

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Maria och Olof Bendz
We felt our daughter Hanna was in safe hands at the Falun Conservatory of Music. We saw that the teachers cared for their students and that they trusted each other. They had a very nice and relaxed relationship. Looking back Hanna says that the teachers allowed their students to develop without pushing too much, but they were always there in the background. Music was the guiding force.

By concentrating whole-heartedly on music, young people have an outlet for their energy and ideas and will not need to desperately seek for other ways of expressing themselves. This is our conviction. And our experience! These young people have so much in common with their friends – work as well as spare time – they lead a natural and creative life together.

We noticed that Hanna developed incredibly in those three years! She learned to take care of herself and even to do housework. Suddenly she put dirty clothes in the laundry instead of decorating the bedroom floor with them. And after all our futile nagging at home…Actually, most sixteen-years old are capable of dealing with these matters but as long as they are staying at home, more often than not their parents will take care of things.

Maria och Olof Bendz

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Barbro och Carl-Arne Bertilsson
When Helena decided that she would apply to the Falun Conservatory of Music, many thoughts went through our heads. Surely it was exiting that she wanted to try her wings; surely we wanted her to get a chance to develop her cello playing, but sending a girl of sixteen 500 kilometres away…We knew very little about Falun and absolutely nothing about the Falun Conservatory of Music, except for rumours saying the music education was excellent.

Before it was time to apply we had the opportunity to visit an Open House at the school. Our first contact with the milieu and the teachers was very positive, which probably made it somewhat easier to continue. We have clearly observed the great advantages of a small school. Teachers are always accessible. All students get noticed. As parents we always felt encouraged to keep in touch. Helena’s time in Falun was not entirely without complications but when problems arose teachers and health care personnel dealt with them in the best possible way.

As Helena now has been accepted to a College of Music we are able to verify that three years in the upper secondary programme provided her with a solid music education. In addition she had a good time, and regardless of how her future turns out we are convinced that her time in Falun involved adventures, growth and experiences that will be useful and a source of joy throughout her life.

Barbro och Carl-Arne Bertilsson

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Inga-Lena och Roland Liljenberg

Three of our children got their upper secondary education at the Falun Conservatory of Music. There are two main reasons that we are very pleased with their training and the social life they enjoyed during their time in Falun. Firstly our children enjoyed their leisure time and developed social confidence; secondly they got a solid top-level education.

Before they applied to the programme, we visited Falun to have a closer look at the, for us, unknown school. We immediately noticed the creative, welcoming and stimulating atmosphere, and our children felt at home right from the start. It was really good for them to concentrate entirely on music. They enjoyed their time at the school very much and there were never any problems. Occasionally we wondered if they ate properly but, on the other hand, we knew they got at least one hot meal a day. Moreover, we know from our visits that the food was very good.

We felt safe sending the children to Falun, which seemed to be a world of just the right size yet full of excitement and joyful studies. The environments are also very appealing. The Falun Conservatory of Music is a school full of charm and a very professional profile.

Our children became more focussed in Falun than they were before. Being able to concentrate whole-heartedly on music lessens the strain that we believe most students feel at senior level in comprehensive school. We also felt secure in that our children never were alone and the atmosphere between the students was very good. While at school, they spent almost all their waking time together with other people sharing the same interests. They were part of a social context that was absolutely right for them – something we wish all young people could experience.

The school, its teachers and management created a positive atmosphere where nothing seemed impossible. The students and their future was always the central issue.

Our son Peter who is bassoonist, works with the Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra. Another son, Erik, is a violinist and attends the soloist diploma course in Amsterdam. Our daughter Karin studies the violin at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. They all still keep in touch with their friends from Falun.

Inga-Lena och Roland Liljenberg

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Eva och Magnus Quennerstedt, Uppsala

First we were happy when we heard that Håkan had been accepted to the piano class at the Falun Conservatory of Music. That was nice, but we thought he would study at the upper secondary school here in Uppsala anyway. Håkan had other ideas, however, and he did not give in. So with quite a bit of anxiety on our part he got his way. Today we are very happy for that.

Håkan really enjoyed his stay in Falun. At the beginning we had some trouble with accommodation but after a while these problems were satisfactorily solved. We noticed that Håkan was very inspired during the time he studied in Falun, and we were very happy with the good rapport he had with Bengt Andersson, his teacher, and the excellent training he got.

We did not meet any serious problems during these years although we have to admit that we worried a lot – at least to start with. For example, did he eat properly? We felt good then knowing he got at least one decent meal for lunch every day. And it was tough sometimes not knowing what he was up to and if he was all right. At present, he studies the piano at the Malmö College of Music so we do not have much hold over him today either.

For Håkan, everything turned out well in Falun and we are pleased that he got this opportunity to develop what he wanted to do most of all.

Eva och Magnus Quennerstedt, Uppsala

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Per och Eva Nordén
If your child is offered the chance to attend the Falun Conservatory of Music we would say:
– What are you waiting for?

Our children were accepted to the school one year after another. Our experiences of two vanloads of furniture, looking for accommodation etcetera, taught us that things will sort themselves out in the end. Our worries concerned basic things like food, sleep, friends and schoolwork. We never hesitated over sending them 630 kilometres. They made their own choices, and we helped them!

Regarding our first concern we were soon reassured by substantial school lunches, which they themselves supplemented with porridge, cultured milk and even some not so unwholesome snacks. Getting enough sleep just came naturally with the daily rhythm. Concerning friends, all students came from different parts of the country and were, so to say, in the same boat. Discipline in schoolwork came naturally after a while.

The doctor and nurse at the school were always there for our children and for us if we had any queries. And every day, when school was over, we always talked with our children to make sure they were fine and to hear about their day.

We gave our children the chance - it is exciting to see what will follow.

Per och Eva Nordén,
förälder till Malin Nordén fiol, sång,och Emil Nordén Gitarr

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Rolf och Anita Hansen
TO HESITANT PARENTS!
When our Pelle realized that he wanted to study in a music programme, we looked into which school was considered the best. Everyone we asked answered: “The Falun Conservatory of Music, but it is very hard to get accepted”.

During the sport’s holiday in 8th grade we visited Falun together. We were very well received, but the beautiful buildings made the deepest impression on me. There were absolutely no signs of graffiti or other kinds of vandalism. To me this indicated that the students loved their school, which proved to be a correct interpretation.

Pelle was a bit anxious before our visit, but he relaxed as soon as we came inside. The first one we met was a guy that had been to the same summer camp as Pelle and as our visit progressed he recognized more people that he had met at music camps. When we went back home Pelle was sure he had found the school he wanted.

Next spring it was time for the audition, followed by a time on tenterhooks before Pelle was informed that he had been accepted. He was so proud and happy. We were pleased too, but also wary. How would he manage on his own so far from home? Would he oversleep every day? Would he live only on chips and ice cream? Would he spend all his money in three days? Would he start drinking, or even worse, take drugs without the watching eyes of his parents?

Autumn came and Pelle lodged with an elderly couple. We thought it a bit strange that every time we phoned he was at school, even though we usually called between 9 -10 p.m. We soon found out that the school was his new home. That was where all students spent most of their time. There was a kitchen and a laundry room. Many students had breakfast there and sometimes dinner too. Lunch they had at the neighbouring upper secondary school. Pelle and his friends used to go to someone who lived near school and cook dinner together.

At our first visit we were pleased to see that Pelle seemed to be doing so well and to notice the strong community spirit among the students. If someone wanted to go to the movies he or she asked all the others if they would like to come along. In the evening maybe 10 to 15 students would go together. The fact that the students became so closely united was certainly a question of them being ‘in the same boat’. They had all moved away from home and left behind old friends as well as their families. For Pelles it was obvious that he had begun a new life; a life with music. As long as he was staying with us, sports were as important as music. He was an active cross country skier and a football player, but when he moved to Falun he dropped both completely. We also noticed that he matured as a result of being responsible for his own life. Actually we thought he had grown several years in just a couple of months.

Looking back we can now see that all our misgivings came to naught. The only thing that did not turn out well was his accommodation. Pelle lived 3 kilometres from school and he thought that it was too far to go after school had closed in the evening. He often stayed the night with some friend who lived near school. After a while he changed accommodations and moved to a furnished two-room flat together with a friend.

To summarize we can say that the time in Falun turned out well in every way for our Pelle. He developed so much, musically, that he gained admission to the much coveted chamber music programme at Edsberg. Dear fellow parent: if your child wants to study at the Falun Conservatory of Music I have only one thing to say: I truly hope he or she will be accepted because in that case there awaits three happy years during which your child will grow both as a person and musician.
  
 
 Kind regards Rolf and Anita Hansen

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Liv Meidell och Staffan Blylod
It was not easy to send our sixteen-year-old daughter to an upper secondary school located 600 kilometres from home. She was about to leave the safety of the parental nest to stand on her own two feet with all the responsibilities that come with moving away from home. We did worry quite a bit and phoned the headmaster who said: She will be fine; at this school we take care of our students.

We suddenly realised that our daughter was not the first sixteen-year old to take the first tentative steps in the adult world far from home. At this school there have always been prospective first grade students with worried parents and various needs.

We feel that teachers at the Falun Conservatory of Music have a more intimate relationship with their students compared with teachers at other schools. The school becomes a second, or even the primary, home to many students.

The house seethes with activities from early morning until night, seven days a week. Since most students come from other places than Falun, a strong spirit of community is established during the school day as well as in the spare time, and relations are intense both in regard to the mutual interest in music and other interests. Owing to its moderate size, the school is characterised by a sense of familiarity where everybody knows each other. Students often prepare and eat their meals together in the school kitchen. For our part though, it has been good to know that lunches at Kristinegymnasiet are of very high quality and that the students are guaranteed to get a proper hot meal every day.

We think that our daughter has grown incredibly as a result of her studies at the Falun Conservatory of Music. Should the question arise we would not hesitate sending her brother or sister to Falun at the same age.

Liv Meidell och Staffan Blylod

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