The Donaueschingen Music Festival 2017's 'Next Generation' concert, a collaboration between music schools in Luzern, Stuttgart, and Trossingen, showcased three pieces from around 200 compositions submitted globally. Despite a well-attended venue, the concert was likened to an ordinary university class performance, lacking contrasts or experiments. The 'Next Generation' program, largely invisible to festival-goers, included workshops, discussions, and lectures on topics like gender equality in new music. Participants had mixed feelings about the program's value, with some suggesting an extension over a week for better engagement. The program offers students and young graduates opportunities to immerse themselves in the new music scene at an affordable cost, as seen with participant Adrian Nagel, whose work was performed and received further interest from the echtzeitEnsemble. While the program is gaining popularity, with increasing submissions each year, highly experimental pieces that deviate from the norm are unfortunately not performed.