Head of department Hartmut Schölch is a motivating and experienced supervisor, and she has also met a great, open-minded team of teachers and a cooperative administration. "I enjoy implementing my many ideas with my colleagues," says Petter.

The 55-year-old successor to Mirco Herzberg, who managed the music school for 18 years, has been a permanent teacher for violin, viola and ensembles at the Hildesheim music school since 1985, is a state-certified violin teacher and trained in systemic solution-oriented counseling for children, young people and adults.

She was introduced to music as a child in violin lessons at the Hildesheim Music School. After studying at the University of Music in Detmold, she married her former piano teacher Ulrich Petter, who later became the director of the music school.

She became a music teacher because she couldn't imagine doing anything else but living with music and bringing it closer to other people.

She will also continue to give violin and viola lessons in Salzgitter. As a trained learning coach, however, her main focus is on promoting the personal development of her pupils through music. Petter explains that she has a feel for what musical support a child needs and which instrument suits them best.

"You should dedicate yourself to music because you enjoy it," the music school director is convinced. It is important not to focus on talent, but to value a pupil's diligence more highly. After all, it takes a lot of practice to train the ear for the subtleties of the music, to open up notes not only technically but also emotionally. Talent alone, without the necessary foundations, would not help here.

"I hope," says Petter, "that children and young people, families and older people - in other words, as many generations as possible in the city of Salzgitter - will have the opportunity to come into contact with music." She is convinced: "The quality of our school is guaranteed if it offers good programs for all age groups and if the culture of music-making, from amateurs to professionals, is diverse"

Head of Cultural Affairs Eric Neiseke emphasizes: "This is also in the spirit of Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel and the idea of a child- and family-friendly learning city." He is delighted to have found Sabine Petter as the new music school director. Her predecessor Mirko Herzberg had left behind big footprints, which he was sure she would fill with her own ideas and projects.