When four teenagers from Apolline take to the stage in Etoy
On a Sunday in June in Etoy, Apolline’s annual school festival turns the courtyard into a mini music festival. In the middle of families, strollers, and stage cables, four teenagers step up to play together: Gabriel on guitar, Louise on bass, Oliver on drums, and Charlotte on vocals. Between stage fright, glasses of grenadine syrup, and the feeling of “stepping into another universe,” their story shows how music can transform a child’s or teenager’s life—and what a school like Apolline makes possible.
From the first sounds to the first music lesson
That day, they introduce themselves simply: Gabriel, 13, guitarist; Louise, 15, bassist; Oliver, 11, drummer; Charlotte, 11, singer. Before lessons ever started, there was already “music just for fun”: Gabriel randomly blowing into a flute, Charlotte singing at home at age 3. Then come the first voice or instrument lessons—around 9 years old for Charlotte, three years of lessons already for Louise, almost a year of guitar for Gabriel. Little by little, those spontaneous gestures turn into a real language, with structure, teachers, and regular weekly check-ins.
When passion runs in the family
Passion also flows through the family. Gabriel joined the adventure because he wouldn’t stop listening to his older sister play; after hearing her over and over, he wanted to try for himself. Oliver took a more winding path: saxophone at 13, which he eventually set aside, then bass for about a year and a half before finally finding his place behind the drum kit. Through them, you understand that at Apolline, kids are allowed to try, pause, switch instruments, and look for what truly fits them—without being locked into a rigid path.
The Tuesday workshop: a weekly anchor in Lausanne
At the heart of their story is a weekly ritual that structures everything: the Tuesday evening workshop in Lausanne with their teacher, Sébastien Wenk. That’s where the four of them meet every week to work on their songs and learn how to play as a band. Around this workshop, each one designs their own path: Louise also takes a class on Fridays with Pier-Giorgio, Oliver has an open lesson on Wednesdays, and Charlotte chose to keep “just” the workshop. Their families make the trip from Lausanne for Apolline’s annual celebration, and gather in Etoy to applaud them when a whole year of work finally leads to a live concert.
Taming stage fright, getting a taste of the stage
Of course, stage fright is part of the journey. Gabriel admits he gets a bit nervous and relies on a glass of grenadine syrup; Oliver distracts himself with a game on his phone; Louise listens again to the song she’s about to play; Charlotte warms up her voice. Then the music starts, the nervousness eases, parents hit “record,” and the applause rises. In the end, their words are simple: “It’s cool,” “It’s great.” And then there’s Charlotte’s sentence that everyone remembers: “It kind of pulls you out of the human world, when you’re making music.” In just a few words, she sums up what these four teens experience: the joy of creating together, the feeling of pushing past their limits on stage, and the powerful sense that, for the length of a song, they step into another universe—one that Apolline allows them to discover and truly make their own.