Place of birth
Netherlands
My story
I started drumming when I was 11, back in the '90s. My first pieces were alternative rock songs from that era. Later, I discovered I liked a much wider variety of styles.
After high school, I went to the conservatory in Zwolle and got into the indie band scene, where I learned to do everything myself (DIY). Later, I moved to Utrecht and studied at the HKU (University of the Arts Utrecht). As a drummer, I've played all over the Netherlands, from clubs and bars to theaters and playhouses. I've also played internationally: from hostels, basements, and the streets of Berlin, Paris, and Toronto to clubs in the UK, New York, and New Delhi. I've also played at festivals like Glastonbury, Best Kept Secret, Lowlands, De Zwarte Cross, Concert at Sea, and many more. Finally, I've collaborated on several special projects, such as Lorrainville, for which we won an Edison Award, and Knalland, for which I was the first drummer to play in the Ronda at TivoliVredenburg.
Encouraged by a professional ice-skating neighbor from India and George Harrison of The Beatles, I traveled to India myself to study tabla. This broadened my horizons and led me to develop my own intercultural projects. This is how I came into contact with CCO through a friend and had already seen the orchestra perform live. Shortly thereafter, I was asked to join CCO as a drumming partner.
Instrument
Drums
My input in the orchestra
I have a broad musical taste and try to learn from many styles and cultures. I blend these to create my own unique sound. With this approach, I aim to bring together the diversity within the orchestra and support it rhythmically and sonically in an original way.
Last but not least, my experiences in both DIY and professional practice have taught me to organize a lot myself and to maintain and utilize a professional network. This allows me to connect artistic and organizational policy with music practice and vice versa. This is also how I became the General Director of Catching Cultures.
