I am the daughter of a folk music-mad, dulcimer-playing mother and a Wagner-loving father, so music was everywhere in our house. My music activities began with the recorder when I started school, but I didn’t see the true charm of this instrument until later, and gave up after only a year of “highly-qualified instruction” I had more success with my lessons on the piano, German flute and double bass, which I enjoyed from the age of 10 to 18. There were great opportunities on offer at my school, and I had a cherished few years of ensemble and orchestra experience there. After my A-levels, a few months abroad in Latin America and starting my studies in landscape architecture, the decisive moment finally came at the age of 20: a “chance” meeting with a friend with a house full of medieval instruments, and another “chance” meeting with an instrument maker, from whom I bought my first set of bagpipes. A friend of mine also gave me a tin whistle, and pretty soon I was off: founding a small French dance music combo, founding Faun with Oliver Sa Tyr, and of course co-founding the wonderful group called Schandmaul in 1998. Unfortunately, the combos, my degree and starting work was a bit too much all at the same time, so I gradually gave up all the groups except for Schandmaul. The next few years were tough: in the office from Monday to Thursday, concerts from Friday to Sunday, and studying for my diploma as a Feng Shui counsellor on weekday evenings on top of that. So the recession in 2003 actually came as a blessing, as, being the last person to be taken on, I lost my job at the office and decided to become a professional musician. I moved to Regensburg, and in 2004 I started training to be a state approved ensemble leader at the Berufsfachschule for music in Plattling. In the few months before that, I had realised a long-held dream : I recorded a folk album with Oli and launched our “Sava” project. Over the next 3 years, I carried on with my training (with an additional qualification as a teacher), finishing in July 2007 , and I’m delighted to say that I passed with a Grade 1:-).

Meanwhile, a typical Birgit-day consists of 4-5 hours of practise (classical recorder, folk flute, bagpipes and singing), giving bagpipe and flute lessons, and of course working on new hit songs for Schandmaul and Sava. I have loads of ideas fort he future – watch this space!

Profile:
Name: Birgit Ines Muggenthaler-Schmack
Star sign: Capricorn
Profession: Dipl.-Ing. in Landscape Architecture,
Dipl. Feng Shui Counsellor,
State approved ensemble leader
Instruments: Schaferpfeife, Hümmelchen, Gaita Gallega, recorders, tin whistle, low whistle, hurdy-gurdy, piano.
Music: L`Ham de foc, afro-celt-sound-system, Loreena McKennit, U2
Films: Kleine Haie and Schlafes Bruder
Colour: Orange
Books: Der Rote Löwe by Maria Szepes and Der Schwarm by Frank Schätzing
Leisure: Mountains, sport (running), travel, learning languages
Food: Spinach lasagne, rosemary potatoes, fish

Special thanks go to my dear husband Ferdinand, my parents, friends and fellow musical wayfarers: Faun, Jürgen Ross, Jens, Karl Riedel, Silke Wallach, and of course my Schandmaul friends.