Young editors on tour

Strengthened with fresh croissants, Meret, Samuel and Yannik were first given an introduction by editor-in-chief Nik Niethammer. He told them who all works at Fritz+Fränzi, how our magazine is produced and showed them various cover pages.

The children learnt a few important facts and figures from publishing director Oliver Wirtz. For example, that our almost 250,000 monthly readers pick up a magazine three times on average and read it for a total of 45 minutes. Or that we print almost 1.4 million issues per year.

The three curious students were then asked to think about what questions they would like to ask people in particular professions. After a brainstorming session in the group, the questions were organised and printed out, and then they were off: with a tight schedule, they visited an opera singer, a ballet dancer, two radio presenters and a ship's captain.

In the afternoon, it was time to listen to and transcribe conversations, select and cut up pictures and edit videos. You can read the four exciting interviews right here:

It's what I do best: chatting stupidly.

Dara Masi, radio presenter

How long have you been doing this job?

Karin: I've been working in radio for six years, but I've only been a presenter for a year.

Dara: I've been doing radio for 11 years, and I've been with Energy for three years now. I've been a presenter for ten years. I've actually never done anything else. It's what I do best: chatting stupidly.

How did you get into your profession?

Karin: When I was 18, I was invited to take part in a discussion programme on Swiss television (SRF) where people were allowed to give their opinions on various topics. I was asked what I, as a young person, thought about radio in Switzerland. I then blasphemed about SRF, saying that I found these radio formats rather boring and Radio Energy much cooler. Shortly after the programme, I was invited for an interview by a boss at Energy, took my application with me and was hired straight away.

Dara: For me, it was like for many others. I simply slipped into this profession. After secondary school, I did an internship at a radio station, then I wanted to study journalism at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. But I was rejected. At the same time as the rejection, I was asked if I wanted to present a morning show on a radio station.

What was your dream job as a child?

Dara: I wanted to be famous!

Karin: Me too! I wanted to be a pop star and formed various girl bands with my colleagues, I always forced them a bit, you could almost say.

That's one of the best things about radio: there's something from every profession in it.

Karin Bearpark

Dara: Well, but I didn't have the talent to be famous, and then radio is a good middle ground: you get a bit of attention, but you don't have to be able to sing or dance or look good. People just have to like listening to you.

Karin: I wanted to become a psychologist at some point because I find people very exciting. That's one of the best things about radio: there's something from every profession. Sometimes you get to fly in a helicopter, other times you do an interview in a hospital or have a superstar in front of you. You immerse yourself in completely different worlds.

What is it like to hear your own voice on the radio?

Dara: It's awkward at first; in the past, when there were no voice messages, it was even more awkward to listen to your own voice. But I can hardly remember the unpleasant moments, after two or three days it was over. At some point you even enjoy listening to your own voice.

Karin: I used to find my voice terrible, it was high-pitched and almost hurt my ears. Then I had to learn how to speak more comfortably. A little slower, a little lower - you get used to it and it's easier.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of your job?

Dara: The big challenge is getting up early. The programme starts at five in the morning. If you want to prepare something, you have to start earlier. Some start at half past two in the morning, others at four. Fortunately, there are two of us and we can split up so that someone can come in a little later. But we finish work early: we're done by midday.

Karin: And our job has many advantages: You get to see so many exciting professions, get to know interesting people and new topics. If you get bored quickly, radio is the best. No two days are the same.

Have you ever been late?

Karin: Yes, I once fell asleep on the train on the way to work and only woke up in Winterthur. I immediately informed Dara, who was able to bridge the gap.

Dara: That's the good thing about being two people. But when Karin is on holiday, I always remember that I mustn't oversleep under any circumstances. Well, if it happened anyway, I'd just put on some music.

Karin: But that would make people unhappy. They're already waiting for us when they get into the car in the morning. In our job, you're very time-bound, you always have to be there and ready.

How do you manage to spread good humour on the microphone when you're in a bad mood or ill?

Karin: That happens from time to time. Maybe you're heartbroken, ill or have other worries. It's okay to be open and honest and say into the microphone that you're not having the best day. There's often encouragement from the audience, which is nice.

Dara: Yes, this openness also creates a connection with people, because everyone has a bad day. Of course, you shouldn't tell them all your worries straight away, but you can say: Oh, guys, I didn't feel like getting up and going to work today. It's usually the same for those sitting in the car with the radio on.

Karin: Spreading a bad mood over the microphone is obviously not an option. You don't have to be an actor in this job, but you always have to be in a good mood. That's sometimes challenging when you're not feeling so good. But basically, I would say that the two of us are rather upbeat people.

Dara: Yes, and people who work with people in service, in hospitals or elsewhere know that they have to be friendly and nice, even if they're not actually in a good mood. But in an emergency, emotional worries are more of a reason to stay at home than having a headache or a cold.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you at work?

Karin: Oh, there's a lot. The other day I fell backwards off my chair in the middle of the programme.

Dara: That looked funny.

Karin: You burped into the microphone once!

Dara: Me? Well, I don't remember that.

Karin: But I did! Well, it wasn't that loud either. Fortunately, people don't hear most things. It's really embarrassing and happens to everyone who works in radio at some point: You have an important guest on the show, someone from politics perhaps, record the interview with them in advance - and realise half an hour later that you forgot to record the interview. Then you have to say, sorry, we have to start again from the beginning. That's really embarrassing. But it's also kind of life.

Over time, you learn to keep a cool head and find a solution.

Dara Masi

Dara: I was once asked to do a report on a sporting event. I only realised in the studio that I hadn't recorded anything the whole time.

Karin: And I went to an interview with a politician and realised after an hour's drive that I didn't have a microphone with me. Luckily, my interviewer had the patience to wait another hour, otherwise I would probably have got into trouble with my boss.

Have you ever forgotten to switch off the microphone?

Karin: Yes, but fortunately I didn't say anything particularly embarrassing.

Dara: I once had a colleague at work who told a really wild joke because he thought the microphone was switched off. He was really shocked when he realised that the red light was still flashing and the microphone wasn't off after all. Fortunately, he hadn't turned it up to full volume.

What do you do when you are hoarse?

Karin: Then I find my voice particularly beautiful to listen to.

Dara: Yes, it's a nice change, so to speak, because your own voice sounds different. Unless you have no voice at all, which has already happened to me: At some point, nothing came out.

Have you already had a breakdown while working?

Dara: The computer system breaks down and suddenly there's no more music playing, or people can't hear anything because there's something wrong with an aerial, or the telephone connection to a listener isn't working: things like that happen here from time to time - over time you learn to keep a cool head and find a solution.

Opera singing is a high-performance sport.

Andrew Owens, opera singer

How long have you been doing this job?

Hmm... How old am I now?

We didn't find out.

Oh, I can say that, I'm forty. And I've been doing it since I was a student, but as a professional for about 13 years.

Was it a childhood dream of yours to become an opera singer?

I've always been an actor, a show-off, I've always wanted to be in the limelight. But I only discovered opera later. I was 13 when I saw a film about a famous American actor and singer, Mario Lanza. Unfortunately, he died very young. But he made films between 1950 and 1959 in which he sang opera arias, and when I was thirteen years old, I saw a film of his at school and immediately said: «That's what I wanna do!» Originally I wanted to be a musical and theatre singer, I wanted to act, sing and dance - although I'm not too good at the latter. But then I heard these songs and my dad had a Luciano Pavarotti CD. I listened to that too and that's how it developed.

But it was Mario Lanza's film that inspired you to become an opera singer?

Exactly. I was immediately enamoured with the very first song. To be honest, he sang a love song in that first scene and there was a beautiful woman. She was blown away by him and I thought: «Okay, I'll just have to sing to please the beautiful women.»

Our instrument is the body.

Andrew Owens

What was your training programme?

I graduated from American high school until I was 18 and then I went to university and studied singing. It was a bit of a long road, six years at university in total. After that I took part in some programmes for young artists called Young. I sang in an opera studio in Munich for a year and then I moved to Vienna and worked in another opera studio there for two years. After those years I was a freelance artist and travelled all over the place. Now I'm settled in Zurich and overjoyed to be here.

How often do you train per week?

Every day. I do singing and breathing exercises every day, but the voice is actually a bit different to a violin or something like that. Our instrument is our body. That's why we have to be mindful. It's really delicate because there are only these two vocal chords and they're really sensitive. The weather, what you eat, what you drink when you're not feeling well, everything has an influence. So it can be really dangerous if you're ill and still sing. It's not a good idea because your vocal chords will be swollen or tired. And if you sing too intensely, you might not have a voice for a whole week.

How do you train your voice?

That's a good question. It's a bit different for my voice, I'm a tenor. We always make these funny noises at the beginning to train the vocal chords. It sounds really strange. At the beginning you always have to find that special sound and then it's like you're in fitness training. Because vocal cords are muscles and you just have to train them. It always starts with scales and then with songs or arias that are a bit easier, not so complicated.

What are the pros and cons of your job?

One advantage is the applause. No, no, that was a joke. It's great that my job is to sing beautiful music. Music that I love. Every now and then I realise that again and realise how lucky I am. I am an opera singer. I get up, I go to rehearsal, I have colleagues and friends and we play together. It's so cool. Of course it's also art and everything, but at the end of the day we have fun together. That's the advantage.

The downside is that it can be very tricky with your health. For example, if you don't feel well and still have to stand on stage and sing. At that moment, of course, stage fright kicks in. That's the big disadvantage. Before, as a freelance singer, I was hardly ever at home, always on the road. I lived in Chicago, then I was at home with my dog for three days, for example, and then I had to leave again. That was a bit stressful and that's why I was so happy when I found this job here in Zurich.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?

There are so many things. When I was 17 and took part in my very first opera, I was a trainee in an opera chorus and was given an assignment: I had to throw a rope to the baritone. I felt like a great actor because I had something to do on stage. Everything always worked out in rehearsals. But then during the performance I threw the rope and it got caught on my costume. The baritone was so angry that he pulled the rope and tore off the whole sleeve of my costume. There I was on stage with no jacket sleeves at all. That was pretty embarrassing.

I once missed an announcement because I was in the toilet.

Andrew Owens

What do you do if you are ill and have to perform?

In the opera house, it is possible to have an announcement made. But I don't like that. When people hear: «Andrew Owens is ill tonight.» Then they think: «Oh, he's ill, you can hear that.» I think it's better if you do what you can. In those moments, I also have an inhaler with me, drink lots of water, take cough drops and breathe in and out calmly.

Are there things you have to do without?

Yes, unfortunately there is a lot. I love spicy Mexican food, hot sauces and fried food. But for a singer, especially a tenor, it's forbidden. The vocal chords are then covered in mucus, you realise that your voice is not so fit after eating that. And of course you also have to be careful if everyone has a glass of wine after the performance, because alcohol is not so good either. And if I lie in the sun on the beach, for example - I love that - it's not good for me because it dries me out. Or if I do too much fitness training, I sometimes have a stiff neck and that looks really bad on stage and I can't sing well.

So you have to have a lot of discipline as an opera singer. I know people who have a wonderful voice but no discipline. They sing for five or six years and then they stop because they don't feel like it anymore and they find this life too complicated and exhausting. That's okay, but I also think it's a shame because they have such a beautiful voice.

Have you ever been late for a gig?

Yes, I was a bit ashamed. I missed the announcement and didn't hear that I was supposed to go on stage because I was in the toilet. Then someone came knocking and shouted: «Where are you? You have to go on stage!» Then he pulled me on stage and I found that quite frightening.

Have you ever had an accident at work?

Andrew Owens: Yes, I've had a few accidents in the last two years. I had a problem with my knee, a meniscus problem. We had a revolving stage and I took a wrong step. And last year, in a new production, I flew around in a flying harness above the stage in rehearsal and slammed into the wall three or four times. Looking back, that's pretty funny.

So it's a sporty job.

Yes, absolutely. When I was young, I played ice hockey, baseball and football. When I became a singer, everyone said: That really is a high-performance sport. Then I always said: No, not at all, I used to play ice hockey, it's nothing compared to that. Over the years, I realised that it really is a sport.

How often do you travel in your job?

Not so often these days because I live in Zurich. Last year I was travelling somewhere different every month, in the USA, Canada, Italy, South America, everywhere. I do miss travelling from time to time, but I prefer it when I'm always in the same country.

How does that work with your family?

It's going great. I'm single, so I only have to look after myself here. But I'm always in contact with my family in the USA, we talk every day on Facetime or something. I have a nephew and he always wants me to sing to him. Then I sing him a nursery rhyme.

Were there other musicians in your family?

No, not really. Except for my sister, she has a beautiful voice. She also sang in musicals as a hobby. She influenced me, she encouraged me to become a singer.

Do you still have professional plans for the future?

I would like to remain an opera singer for as long as possible. Later on, I would like to become a singing teacher at a university. Over the last few years, I've realised that I really enjoy teaching. I think it's cool to see how young singers develop.

It's not often that someone falls off the boat.

Marco Pfister, Captain

How long have you been doing this job?

I've been doing my job for 13 years.

How did you get into this profession?

Most of us have basic technical training. I am a trained electrician. I used to spend a lot of time on the water, and then it just happened that way.

What was your dream job as a child?

Exactly what I'm doing now: captaining a ship.

What are the pros and cons of your job?

Advantages: There is a lot of variety, it's different every day. You're always out in the fresh air, on the lake. The disadvantage is that you have to work at the weekend - but you get used to that. When the others are on holiday, the lake is busiest and then you have to work.

Have you ever had an accident on a boat?

Yes, but not a serious one. It was just a fender bender. I was giving lessons to a trainee, let him take the wheel and just for a second I wasn't paying attention and there was a small accident. He drove into the footbridge on Limmatquai. But it wasn't that bad, fortunately nobody was hurt.

Have there ever been situations in which you were afraid?

Yes, that actually happened. When I was driving a larger ship and didn't know it that well yet, strong winds suddenly came up - we'd never had that at driving school. You don't know the ship that well and you don't know what's going to happen. Then it's best to just stay out on the lake and not try to drive the boat ashore. Let the ship rock a little on the water - nothing will happen to the ship - and wait. That's safer for everyone.

There are also a lot of small boats on the lake. Do you find them annoying?

In summer, it's often the case that the smaller boats like to get close to the larger vessels. I don't know why this is the case. But if you then give a sound signal with the horn, they quickly move away. That almost always works. There's always a lot of traffic in the lake basin: pedalos, motorboats and so on.

I've also driven the wrong route before.

Marco Pfister, Captain

Have you ever been at sea with a crew?

No, I've never been. I never want to, because I'd rather go home in the evening. The high seas are for people who don't have a family - then you can do it.

What is the most embarrassing thing you have ever experienced at work?

Actually, there's nothing embarrassing, because I'm usually alone in the cabin. But I've also travelled the wrong route before. But then someone from the ticket office downstairs quickly got in touch and told me that I had to change to the lake side.

Has anyone ever fallen off the boat?

Never for me on the boat. But we have to practise that too. It's called man overboard these days. We practise it at least three times a year.

Do you have a favourite ship in the fleet?

Yes, the Panta Rhei and the Linth. The Panta Rhei is one of the most modern ships on the lake. The Linth was the first three-storey ship in Switzerland and was built in 1952. Today, the ship is state of the art - but the hull is from 1952.

What was the longest boat trip you have experienced?

That was on a Greek ferry, which was not so trustworthy. I can't remember how long we were on the ship - but certainly too long for the condition it was in.

Do you have any professional plans for the future?

At the moment, I still really like it here. I'm staying here for the time being.

You're back on your feet in half a second and keep dancing.

Mélanie Borel, ballet dancer

How did you get into your profession?

Classical ballet has always been a passion for me. I went to ballet school alongside normal school and then tried to go to a professional ballet school. That's how I ended up at the Paris Opera Ballet School. In addition to my great passion, it was also important for me to have some professional security. That's why I applied for a job as a ballet dancer, first in France because I'm French, but then all over Europe. And because I got a job, I decided to take up this career and do it professionally.

How often do you train?

I train almost every day, five and a half days a week. It can vary, depending on the plan, but it can be up to seven training sessions a day. Sometimes it's less, sometimes it's more. If we have a premiere, it can be more. But it's definitely a full-time job.

Have you ever had an accident at work or a breakdown?

I had a stress fracture in my second year as a dancer. The foot wasn't completely broken, but there was a small crack in the bone. That happens very often when you're still growing and your bones aren't quite strong yet. When we dance on pointe for seven hours a day, it's a lot for the body. It's several hours, we're there all day and we have to make an effort to look after our bodies. That we eat healthily and take in enough calcium, things like that. But I've been lucky so far and haven't had an operation in my entire career.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you as a dancer?

Tripping and falling on stage is not funny. You might laugh about it later, but it's embarrassing in the moment. I've slipped a few times because we do such extreme movements. Sometimes you just go too far or your pointe shoes might slip on the floor.

What do you do when you fall over on stage?

When that happens, you're in emergency mode and just think: I have to carry on. For you as a dancer, the breakdown feels like it lasts forever, but you're back on your feet in half a second and just keep dancing. It's incredible how quickly the body reacts. It just keeps going. There are also roles where you can make something out of a fall so that it's not so noticeable, depending on the ballet. But you can't do that in classical ballet.

Dancing is definitely a full-time job.

Mélanie Borel

When did you start dancing?

When I was four years old. But back then it was only one hour a week. It was good for my discipline and posture. I really enjoyed it and then I went regularly twice a week, which wasn't that much. But then I went to the professional school every day.

Do you dance anything other than ballet?

We do a bit of everything here, we have very modern ideas, now for example «Nachtträume». We do modern, but also classical things. You can dance anything here, we also have people who can tap dance. We have to adapt. It used to be different because there were only classical compositions, but today you have to be able to do everything.