Istorijat

MUSIC SCHOOL “VLADO MILOSEVIC”

The story about Music school in Banjaluka began at the end of the 19th century, during the Austro-Hungarian occupation, when Serbian Singing Society “Jedinstvo” (then church singing society) was founded. The same Society founded the first official Music school in Banjaluka in 1934.
On the initiative of the president of that period Mr. Dušan Umičević , who was former conductor of the “Jedinstvo”, on the emergency session of the assembly on 1st of June 1934, the decision on opening the Music school was made.
The school had several departments: Beginner’s course, Primary school and Secondary Music School which than had only three academic years. The syllabus included subjects such as Solfeggio, Elementary theory and Harmony. It was anticipated for the Cello and the Double bass to be introduced later on. The school could be attended by regular and part-time pupils, as well as the pupils who would attend the school only periodically, so called “frequenting students”.
The founders of the school who really stood out were Vlado Milosevic, whose name and work have been related to this school from its very beginning, a piano teacher Draga Bukinac and Dragan Šajnovic, who was a teacher of the Violin in the academic year 1935/1936.
The first principal of the school and the teacher of violin and solfeggio at the same time was Vlado Milošević, the person this school was given the name after. Leading this school, during the pre-war as well as the post war period, this tireless enthusiast would stay on the field of music the whole decade trying to evoke and cherish love towards music, but also to give serious approach towards the art of music in general.
Something that has marked the whole existence of the Music school from its first day and unfortunately, until today is the lack of work premises. In the beginning addresses of the school were constantly changing. First they were the premises of the Singing Society “Jedinstvo”, then the house of the Rudovićs, after that the building of the Church municipality of Banjaluka, and as “Jedinstvo” was founded and worked under the church patronage the Music school would get the work space in that building as well.
PERIOD AFTER THE WORLD WAR II
Teaching procedures and the concert activity of the Music school “Vlado Milošević” has been stopped only once and that was during the Second World War.
After the Second World War the new era in the rise of Yugoslav art and music began. In an effort to bring the art closer to people old cultural buildings were being renewed and new ones built: theatres, museums, libraries, art and music schools.
In almost all bigger cities over the BH from 1945 schools for spreading music culture were being founded. At that time Musical Education was introduced as a compulsory school subject in all the primary and secondary schools.
Music School in Banjaluka was renewed in 1946.
The renewed school had the following departments:
Begginer’s – one year course, only for regular students; talented children were trained, and beside solfeggio children learned about basics of music.
Elementary – three-year course
Intermediate – also a three year course, the same as the upper- intermediate department
Primary music school would take ten years to be completed. The main subjects in the first academics year to be studied were: Violin, Solo Singing, Accordion and Guitar. In the notes of Vlado Milošević’s it was written that in the founding year 602 candidates applied. In order to set the school right its founders undertook the careful process of choosing the best candidates (talented children who had the will and opportunities to devote themselves to music). Finally, there were 229 pupils enrolled in the first grade of the first generation of the City People’s Music School.
SECONDARY MUSIC SCHOOL IN BANJALUKA
Long time waited, announced and prepared event in the history of music schooling of Bosanska Krajina happened in 1956/57 when the first Secondary Music School was opened in Banjaluka.
Professional subjects in the newly opened school were taught by:
• Draginja Varićak and Vida Milošević – Piano
• Dragan Šajnović, Ferdinand Mikolčević and Karlo Fajstner- Violin
• Sveto Radetić- Cello
• Petar Čukman- Flute
• Julija Pejnović- Solo Singing
The most of professional subjects were taught by Rene (Renata) Keler: the Theory of Music, Harmony I, Solfeggio and a foreign language (German, French, and Russian), Physical Education.
In 1956 the name of the school was changed and from then on it has been called “Music School in Banjaluka”. This name has also covered Primary Music School in the duration of 6 years and four-year Secondary Music School.
CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKE
The earthquake that shook Banjaluka and its surrounding in 1969 did the same to Music School which at that time was located in Dom kulture. In the city area more than 60 school buildings were destroyed. Great number of pupils and university students were left on the street. More than 10.000 pupils and teachers of primary and secondary schools were evacuated from Banjaluka. Among them there were pupils of Secondary Music School who were evacuated to Tuzla after the Republic Evacuation Headquarters reached such decision.
Already on 22nd of April 1970, pupils together with their teachers are turning back to Banjaluka, where their future years of work will be marked by inadequate premises and constant moving (classrooms of today’s Primary School “Vuk Karadžić”, Primary School “Zmaj Jova Jovanović”).
THE SCHOOL UNDER ITS OWN ROOF
From the earthquake of 1969 and moving from Dom kulture, Banjaluka Music School changed its home three times. There was an urgent need for finding the permanent solution and that was found in the former building of constructional company “Krajina”, ground-flour building of a solid construction and nice surrounding. That is how the Music School after four decades got its own building, in which the teaching procedure has been done until today.
After a years-long attempt on behalf of the management of Music School “Vlado Milošević” and applications submitted to The City of Banjaluka and the Ministry of Education and Culture of RS to get some extra space, and because of the expanding of some departments and total number of pupils, beside the central building the school got certain number of classrooms in Primary School “Vuk Karadžić” in 2005/2006.
In this building, children of preparatory grade and the first grade of primary school have their lessons of Solfeggio, and there are individual classes of the main subject of the Departments of Guitar, Piano, Accordion, String and Brass instruments.
MUSIC SCHOOL “VLADO MILOŠEVIĆ”
Ethnomusicologist and composer Vlado Milošević died on 6th February 1990. In the honor of this great enthusiast at the field of culture and music, former principal and teacher of Music School in Banjaluka, the school changed its name on February 23rd, 1990 and became Music School “Vlado Milošević” Banjaluka.
MUSIC SCHOOL “VLADO MILOŠEVIĆ” TODAY
Today Music School “Vlado Milošević” can mention with pride its 700 pupils who attend primary school at different departments (piano, string instruments, brass instruments, guitar and accordion) and more than 100 pupils of secondary music school for two educational profiles (Music Performer and Music Lecturer).
Lessons in Primary and Secondary school are given for the following instruments:
• Piano
• Accordion
• Guitar
• Violin
• Cello
• Flute
• Oboe
• Clarinet
• Trumpet
• Horn
• and Solo Singing
Beside the regular activities pupils and teachers of the school have numerous concerts, participate at competitions in Banjaluka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and abroad and on these concerts they achieve excellent musical results. With its abundant artistic activity the School even today repeats and confirms its old proverb:
“Hey Stranger, don’t sing while you walk through Banjaluka”.