After the conclusion of this most inauspicious education he earned the means to continue private lessons in violin, piano, and music theory as a bar and coffee house fiddler in Leipzig. Later, in 1979, he used his experiences from this time in his opera Die Stadtpfeifer ("The Town Pipers").
This led to him acquiring the funds for private instruction in violin, piano, and music theory as a street musician playing the fiddle at bars and coffeehouses in Leipzig. He then incorporated these experiences into his 1979 opera Die Stadtpfeifer ("The Town Pipers").