Generali Switzerland, Bligg and the Swiss Music Awards champion the country’s young musical talent

Aug 11, 2020.

The newly launched music development programme, SMA Kids by Generali, is aimed at children aged six to twelve. Budding young musicians have fun trying out a variety of instruments at one-day workshops, where they also get to meet one of the big names in the business: Bligg. This top artist will help the kids put together a song, with all the proceeds going to a foundation that supports socially disadvantaged families in Switzerland.

Music is so much more than playing notes. It's a means of expression, it conveys emotions and it accompanies us throughout our lives. Learning to play an instrument requires both discipline and passion. And a lot of what music teaches us can be transferred to other areas of our lives: creativity, perseverance, self-confidence and social skills. Valuable life lessons – especially for children. But music tuition is expensive and not everyone has access to this world.

 

SMA Kids by Generali – a programme promoting music skills for all

Generali Switzerland, Bligg and the Swiss Music Awards (SMA) are making the world of music more accessible to children. The three partners have joined forces to develop the SMA Kids by Generali programme, which promotes young talents between the ages of six and twelve. Five one-day workshops held in Zurich, Lucerne, Bern, Fribourg and Basel are a core element of the programme. The workshops are tailored exclusively to the children's needs. The main question is not 'which recorder best suits which child?'. Instead, it's all about letting the kids explore and learn about music, immerse themselves in it and try out all kinds of musical ideas. It's intended to boost their self-confidence and belief in their own talent.

 

Bligg to create a song for a good cause with kids

In the first part of the workshop, participants are given a basic introduction to music. They can try out a range of instruments and give their creativity free rein in rap and percussion sessions. In the second part, they join artist Bligg in writing a song, which is due to be launched in October. It will be available on all the usual streaming platforms and to download. All the proceeds from the song will go to The Human Safety Net Switzerland Foundation, an organisation set up by Generali Switzerland to improve the lives of socially disadvantaged families nationwide. In other words, through their music, the kids will be helping other kids.

 

"There's a whole lot of music hidden inside every child"

 For Swiss musician Bligg, giving kids encouragement is a matter close to his heart: "Music meant everything to me as a child. But, back then, my parents couldn't afford for me to take music lessons. Yet it's so important to give kids formative influences on their creative journey at an early stage. I'm convinced that every child has a whole lot of music hidden inside them. The workshops aim to bring that music to life, while also teaching the youngsters some fundamental lessons: trust in your vision, have the courage to express yourself and, above all – hang on in there. All that will be reflected in our song, which I'm really looking forward to."

 

Generali Switzerland and the SMA champion future talent

Mike Fuhrmann, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and Member of the Executive Board of Generali Switzerland, explains: "The fact that not all children have the same chance to develop their musical skills moved us to launch this programme. This is our way of giving young people the opportunity to unlock their talent and develop their creativity. We're delighted that the proceeds from the song that Bligg will record together with the kids will help improve the lives of socially disadvantaged families in Switzerland."

 

Marc Gobeli, Managing Director of SMA, is thrilled to be working together with Generali Switzerland and Bligg: "The Swiss Music Awards have always been about promoting talent – and that starts with the very youngest. Who knows, maybe we'll be setting future SMA winners on their path to success."

 

SMA Kids by Generali workshops

14 August 2020: Zurich, Noerd

15 August 2020: Lucerne, Madeleine

19 August 2020: Bern, Du Theatre

21 August 2020: Fribourg, Gustav Manufactur

22 August 2020: Basel, Nordstern

 

For more information, visit

https://www.generali.ch/sma-kids

 

 

If you have any further questions, please contact:

 

Anna-Lena Huber, Generali Insurance Switzerland, anna-lena.huber@generali.com

Andrea Vogel, Swiss Music Awards, media@swissmusicawards.ch

Ben Moser, DreamStar Entertainment GmbH, bm@dreamstar-entertainment.ch 

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