“Music: The Best Bridge for All People”
An Interview with Remigius Adomaitis Preceding Dagilelis’ U.S. Concert Tour
Do
you remember the first time you heard a boychoir?
My parents both loved music, and were committed supporters of the musical endeavors of my two older sisters and myself. My mother sang in a choir and occasionally as soloist. When I was seven, I saw the film Malczeki [Boys], a film about a boychoir. I was obsessed with the film and saw it at least five times! I really wanted to join the choir and was so disappointed that we didn’t live in Vilnius, where the boys’ choir was located.
What happened next?
I auditioned and was admitted to the local music school for piano lessons. It was 30 kilometers away and I had to travel there by myself three times a week, by bus or train. At age 12, I added trumpet as a second instrument, and also took classes in musicianship, theory, and history.
Did your parents encourage you to pursue a musical career?
My sisters were over 15 years older than me and had become musicians. Music is not a particularly lucrative field, so my father jokingly discouraged me from pursuing it as a profession. I was a member of many school clubs, including literature, theatre, and technology. I even considered medical studies, and for my high school internship, I chose to shadow a surgeon. However, after seeing it up close, I was less excited about a career in medicine, and with the encouragement of many teachers and friends opted to pursue music.
How did the Dagilelis Singing School come to be?
My education included a conducting internship at a high school. My mentor once asked the choir which of the student-conductors they liked the most. They picked me. He talked with me and said that he had a boychoir in Siauliai. There were only fifteen students and it was a part-time position, but if I was interested, I could develop it. I leapt at the opportunity. I dreamed big – I wanted to build a choir program of the highest caliber. I knew the level of the great boychoir schools of England, Germany, and Spain and realized that without a school, it would not be possible. When I was talking about my ideas for founding the school, people said it’s a crazy dream. They didn’t understand what I wanted, or why we needed such a school. After all, at that time many music schools in Lithuania were being closed. I had to present a feasibility plan, curriculum, and budget and convince local officials of the importance of the arts and the education for the students. It took over nine years to get the project off the ground and cultivate the support necessary to found the school.
How did you recruit students?
I taught musicianship classes in two other schools at the time, and invited students to audition. I advertised in the newspapers, and also went to area schools to audition students, ages pre-school up! In 1999, we started with 160 students and three faculty (including myself). Now we have over 300 students, and 37 faculty and staff.
How is the Dagilelis curriculum structured?
Students come to us after school Monday through Friday for rehearsals, classes in musicianship and theory (twice weekly), history (weekly), and private lessons. From the second grade on, students choose an instrument and receive two 45-minute lessons per week. The instruments available are piano, violin, guitar, saxophone, flute, accordion, and drums. If a student wishes to do so, he can learn two instruments. The whole choir rehearses twice a week, for 60-90 minutes. Students also rehearse in small groups (6-8 students) once or twice a week, grouped by age and voice type. Students receive grades for classes and lessons. The entire program lasts seven years and students receive a diploma after successfully completing all requirements. Older students may remain in the school and choir if they wish.
How is the school supported financially?
Students pay only a token registration fee: 30 litas per month (ca. $12 USD) for enrollment, and 10 litas per month (ca. $4 USD) for the private lessons. The rest is of our budget is covered by the local and state government and private sponsors.
Besides excellent musical instruction, what educational benefits do are there for the young boys who enroll in the school?
I strongly believe the boys develop in a way that is different than their peers. They are unusually disciplined for their age, but they are also very self-confident as they have experiences that truly build up their self-esteem, and they have many friends through the school. They are sensitive to the arts as well as to the needs of other people. They get to know the world through their travels and learn about themselves, their country, and other countries.
What has become of alumni of the choir?
Former members of Dagilelis have pursued a variety of professions. Many continued on to music – vocal or instrumental performance, or music education. Others have pursued university studies, often at top institutions. They all became very good people!
Is the October 2011 tour the first visit of Dagilelis to the USA? How are you preparing for the tour, and what are the expectations of the choir regarding this trip?
Yes, this is the first Dagilėlis' trip to the USA. We included over 30 different works in the tour program, including the most beautiful selections by W.A. Mozart, J.S Bach, E. Elgar, C. Franck, G. Faure, and J. Rutter as well as composers of the Lithuanian and Baltic region and American composers. The variety of music ensures an enticing program that audiences of all ages and musical preferences will certainly enjoy. We hope that music performed by our choir will excite the hearts of audience and give them a lot of pleasure as well as a positive image of young Lithuania. We are very grateful to Intermuse Performing Artists Bureau, led by Dr. Prof. Charles Borowsky and Dr. Barry Goldstein, for their tireless pro bono workin arranging our U.S. tour. We would never expect to have over 20 concerts in prestigious venues, including cathedrals, churches, universities, and famous music halls. We also look forward to meeting the music-loving American audience, the Lithuanian-American community, and particularily, the members of various choirs. We also highly value the support given to the organizers by some leaders of the Lithuanian-American community, especially Mr. Laurynas Misevicius, Mrs. Roma Krusinskas, and Mr. Raimundas Slizys. We have enthusiastically embraced the motto of our American Tour suggested by Dr. Borowsky: “Music: The Best Bridge for All People.” Indeed, Dagilelis and I have promoted friendly and mutually beneficial people-to-people relations. We hope that the Lithuanian authorities will support our efforts.
Remigijus Adomaitis is Founder of the Dagilelis Singing School and Musical Director and Conductor of the acclaimed Dagilelis Boychoir of Lithuania.
Author Elizabeth B. Borowsky is an award-winning pianist, teacher, and author.
My parents both loved music, and were committed supporters of the musical endeavors of my two older sisters and myself. My mother sang in a choir and occasionally as soloist. When I was seven, I saw the film Malczeki [Boys], a film about a boychoir. I was obsessed with the film and saw it at least five times! I really wanted to join the choir and was so disappointed that we didn’t live in Vilnius, where the boys’ choir was located.
What happened next?
I auditioned and was admitted to the local music school for piano lessons. It was 30 kilometers away and I had to travel there by myself three times a week, by bus or train. At age 12, I added trumpet as a second instrument, and also took classes in musicianship, theory, and history.
Did your parents encourage you to pursue a musical career?
My sisters were over 15 years older than me and had become musicians. Music is not a particularly lucrative field, so my father jokingly discouraged me from pursuing it as a profession. I was a member of many school clubs, including literature, theatre, and technology. I even considered medical studies, and for my high school internship, I chose to shadow a surgeon. However, after seeing it up close, I was less excited about a career in medicine, and with the encouragement of many teachers and friends opted to pursue music.
How did the Dagilelis Singing School come to be?
My education included a conducting internship at a high school. My mentor once asked the choir which of the student-conductors they liked the most. They picked me. He talked with me and said that he had a boychoir in Siauliai. There were only fifteen students and it was a part-time position, but if I was interested, I could develop it. I leapt at the opportunity. I dreamed big – I wanted to build a choir program of the highest caliber. I knew the level of the great boychoir schools of England, Germany, and Spain and realized that without a school, it would not be possible. When I was talking about my ideas for founding the school, people said it’s a crazy dream. They didn’t understand what I wanted, or why we needed such a school. After all, at that time many music schools in Lithuania were being closed. I had to present a feasibility plan, curriculum, and budget and convince local officials of the importance of the arts and the education for the students. It took over nine years to get the project off the ground and cultivate the support necessary to found the school.
How did you recruit students?
I taught musicianship classes in two other schools at the time, and invited students to audition. I advertised in the newspapers, and also went to area schools to audition students, ages pre-school up! In 1999, we started with 160 students and three faculty (including myself). Now we have over 300 students, and 37 faculty and staff.
How is the Dagilelis curriculum structured?
Students come to us after school Monday through Friday for rehearsals, classes in musicianship and theory (twice weekly), history (weekly), and private lessons. From the second grade on, students choose an instrument and receive two 45-minute lessons per week. The instruments available are piano, violin, guitar, saxophone, flute, accordion, and drums. If a student wishes to do so, he can learn two instruments. The whole choir rehearses twice a week, for 60-90 minutes. Students also rehearse in small groups (6-8 students) once or twice a week, grouped by age and voice type. Students receive grades for classes and lessons. The entire program lasts seven years and students receive a diploma after successfully completing all requirements. Older students may remain in the school and choir if they wish.
How is the school supported financially?
Students pay only a token registration fee: 30 litas per month (ca. $12 USD) for enrollment, and 10 litas per month (ca. $4 USD) for the private lessons. The rest is of our budget is covered by the local and state government and private sponsors.
Besides excellent musical instruction, what educational benefits do are there for the young boys who enroll in the school?
I strongly believe the boys develop in a way that is different than their peers. They are unusually disciplined for their age, but they are also very self-confident as they have experiences that truly build up their self-esteem, and they have many friends through the school. They are sensitive to the arts as well as to the needs of other people. They get to know the world through their travels and learn about themselves, their country, and other countries.
What has become of alumni of the choir?
Former members of Dagilelis have pursued a variety of professions. Many continued on to music – vocal or instrumental performance, or music education. Others have pursued university studies, often at top institutions. They all became very good people!
Is the October 2011 tour the first visit of Dagilelis to the USA? How are you preparing for the tour, and what are the expectations of the choir regarding this trip?
Yes, this is the first Dagilėlis' trip to the USA. We included over 30 different works in the tour program, including the most beautiful selections by W.A. Mozart, J.S Bach, E. Elgar, C. Franck, G. Faure, and J. Rutter as well as composers of the Lithuanian and Baltic region and American composers. The variety of music ensures an enticing program that audiences of all ages and musical preferences will certainly enjoy. We hope that music performed by our choir will excite the hearts of audience and give them a lot of pleasure as well as a positive image of young Lithuania. We are very grateful to Intermuse Performing Artists Bureau, led by Dr. Prof. Charles Borowsky and Dr. Barry Goldstein, for their tireless pro bono workin arranging our U.S. tour. We would never expect to have over 20 concerts in prestigious venues, including cathedrals, churches, universities, and famous music halls. We also look forward to meeting the music-loving American audience, the Lithuanian-American community, and particularily, the members of various choirs. We also highly value the support given to the organizers by some leaders of the Lithuanian-American community, especially Mr. Laurynas Misevicius, Mrs. Roma Krusinskas, and Mr. Raimundas Slizys. We have enthusiastically embraced the motto of our American Tour suggested by Dr. Borowsky: “Music: The Best Bridge for All People.” Indeed, Dagilelis and I have promoted friendly and mutually beneficial people-to-people relations. We hope that the Lithuanian authorities will support our efforts.
Remigijus Adomaitis is Founder of the Dagilelis Singing School and Musical Director and Conductor of the acclaimed Dagilelis Boychoir of Lithuania.
Author Elizabeth B. Borowsky is an award-winning pianist, teacher, and author.