Maison SELMER
CSFI : Promoting music in all its forms
Active within the Chambre Syndicale de la Facture Instrumentale (French Union of Instrument Makers), Henri SELMER Paris is committed alongside the entire industry to the development of instrumental practice for all and the preservation of know-how through training.
Preserving the professions of instrument manufacturing
The Chambre Syndicale de la Facture Instrumentale (CSFI) was created in 1890 by French manufacturers of musical instruments in order to defend the interests of the sector, then it was extended to instrument distributors and retailers. Supported by the Ministry for Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Culture, it is now organised around 6 working committees. The Henri SELMER Paris company is fully involved since its President Jérôme Selmer is CSFI's Vice-President.
Since its creation, the CSFI has endeavoured to highlight and promote know-how in the manufacture, repair and restoration of musical instruments. This is done in particular through the "Training" commission which works hand in hand with the training centres in order to develop quality teaching and generate a pool of young talents.
But the CSFI has another essential mission: developing instrumental practice for all.
Encouraging instrumental practice
Stimulating the brain, relieving tension, offering new social opportunities, awakening creativity, releasing emotions… The benefits of instrumental practice are no longer to be proven. Noting that only 3% of children were playing an instrument at the end of the 1990s, the CSFI has placed at the heart of its priorities the development of musical activity, especially in young people for whom the benefits are multiplied tenfold.
The CFSI organizes every year in June the event « Osez la musique » (Dare the music). In 2019, 46 stores and luthiers throughout France took part in this initiative, offering the opportunity for all audiences to discover the practice of music. On the programme: presentation and testing of instruments, introductory workshops, demonstrations, lectures, meetings with musicians, visits to workshops… The aim is to promote access to music and, who knows, perhaps even to generate vocations.
The CSFI also supervises the « Comment ça marche ? » (How does it work?) workshops in partnership with the Friends of the Sunday Morning Concerts association. These are discovery and initiation workshops for children from 7 to 10 years old. On November 25th, 2019, Henri SELMER Paris took part in a workshop dedicated to the woodwind family, offering children the opportunity to try their hand at the alto saxophone and clarinet.
As part of its mission, the CSFI has also contributed to the creation of numerous orchestras in French schools and colleges. The "Orchestre à l'école" device (which has become an independent association) allows each child, whatever his or her aptitudes and behaviour, to discover instrumental practice in the school setting. A musical and pedagogical project which encourages the values of sharing and respect and contributes to the child's self-fulfilment and self-confidence.
In addition, the CSFI intervened with the Ministry of Culture to integrate the purchase of musical instruments into the Pass Culture system. Since 2019, this government project has enabled young people to benefit from a 500 € envelope for the purchase of cultural goods or to attend cultural events (to be used between the ages of 18 and 19).
Photo credit : © CSFI - Henri SELMER Paris
