Christian Schichtl from Schwaig works in Florida for three weeks – and is already homesick
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VonHelena Grillenberger
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Three weeks on the drums in Disneyland: musician Christian Schichtl from Schwaig will start a somewhat different musical job in Florida on Friday. He’s already homesick.
Schwaig – “I’m curious how it will be at the end”, says Christian Schichtl with a laugh. “Would I like to stay longer, or is it enough?” The 29-year-old is sitting in the garden in front of his apartment in Schwaig. Not a trace of stress – even though he’s flying to the USA today. Professionally, as a musician.
Since 2018, the drum teacher has been a member of the percussion ensemble “Groovin’ Alps”, which has been performing in the German theme world at Disney World in Florida for years. At that time, he was recommended to the group by a fellow student, “and that’s how I joined,” says Schichtl.
He made his debut at an FC Bayern fan festival, and he was able to perform a few more times with the musicians before Corona. Then there was a break until it started again this year: for two weeks on a ship between Finland and Sweden. “And now it turned out that they asked me for Disney World,” says Strichl happily.
The drummer doesn’t really know what’s in store for him. Just that he gets to play six times a day for 20 minutes. And that they play in costume. “I’m really excited,” reveals the Schwaiger. And he hopes to see a little bit of Florida too. He is very excited about the country and its people. “I’ve never been to America, I’m really excited,” admits Schichtl. He has two days off a week, and a car is made available to the musicians in addition to their accommodation.
But most of all he is looking forward to seeing his fellow musicians again. The group is made up of percussionists from all over Germany, who perform in groups of three in the theme park for a few weeks from the beginning of June to the end of September. It was impossible to rehearse together in advance. “Everyone knows what they have to practice,” says Schichtl, explaining how he has prepared for the coming weeks. Before his first mission this Friday, everything will be played through again.
The 29-year-old has been playing the drums since he was eleven. At the age of 17 he went to the vocational school for music, later he added music studies to it.
“I’m very attached to my homeland,” says Schichtl. He was drawn to America anyway, mainly because of his instrument: “It all comes from there,” he explains. His drum teacher at the vocational school studied in Los Angeles, “he asked me at the time if I didn’t want to go over there,” says the musician. “But I was only 17 then – that would have been too extreme.”
But he has now traveled a lot in Germany, he has already played in almost every city, he reveals. Also in Austria and Switzerland – and at the beginning of the year in the far north.
At Disney World, the percussionists make music on objects that you wouldn’t expect to find instruments behind: “We play Bavarian pieces,” says Schichtl, “on brooms, ladders, barrels, with spoons – one piece also has a washboard.” . He tugs lightly at the hem of his black T-shirt, which has a metal band printed on it. The program that is coming his way in Florida doesn’t quite match his taste in music, he says with a grin. Nevertheless: “It’s a huge honor that I can play there.”
At the beginning of April, his colleagues asked him if he would accompany them to America. He couldn’t make a firm commitment to that. He had other appearances for the time, first had to look for a replacement, and of course also discuss the project with his wife.
In June he was able to accept the “Groovin’ Alps”. And now everything had to happen very quickly, after all he also needed a work visa. “That was a huge hiccup,” remembers Schichtl. “I had to go to the embassy in Frankfurt, who then took my fingerprints and everything.” He was very grateful that the management of the ensemble took over the organization from him. “Otherwise it wouldn’t have happened so quickly.” It didn’t take any effort for him to accept his colleagues, but he had thought about it for a while. “It would be so stupid if I didn’t do it,” he says firmly. “But I’m really homesick.”
He goes to the USA for three weeks. Longer than he has ever been away from home. “I’m looking forward to coming home again,” says the musician, laughing, and to his two children and his wife. “But I became a musician because I want to see something of the world. So I have to do that.”