The composition owes its shape to the children’s imagination and creativity. Our first meeting took the form of a lecture. The children learned about the profession of music composer, various aspects of artistic work, and how a composition comes into being. They were genuinely involved and asked plenty of questions, which created a highly inspiring atmosphere. I showed them many composition techniques and creative solutions, which aroused their curiosity and willingness to experiment with sound. During our second meeting, we sought inspiration directly at the site of the performance – at the Student Monument – which provided us with plenty of interesting sounds and auditory sensations for the children to record by themselves. Each pupil was entrusted with the task of creating their own sound recording inspired by the monument. I then transformed those recordings and incorporated them into the composition. The children were delighted to hear their own sound material become an integral part of a music work. 

The Exam is largely a comic piece. It opens in a calm, relaxed, idyllic mood, reflecting the carefree days preceding the inevitable – the exam that ends a university course. Then comes the warning motif, introducing a challenge and the element of anxiety. As the music unfolds, chaos and panic gradually creep in, reflecting the stress resulting from the imminent exam. We all found the process of creating this miniature extremely inspiring. For the children it was an opportunity to learn about new music, but also to experience the joy of artistic creation and see how their own ideas become part of a larger whole. 

Barbara Zach