As a young boy, he started drumming on a small wooden board, but when he performs with the CineMusic Film Orchestra today, he is surrounded by timpani, congas, and trap tables with at least 15 other instruments. Percussionist Floris van Tol shares how much he enjoys the view from his spot on the stage.
How did you end up at CineMusic?
“That was actually a wonderful coincidence. I was already teaching a lot and conducting several percussion groups. I’ve been doing that since my time at the conservatory, because as a musician, it’s important to have multiple sources of income. At one point, when our youngest daughter was nine, I started feeling the itch to play more alongside teaching. I wanted to find a better balance. Exactly at that moment, I got a call from Ruud Luttikhuizen, who was looking for a percussionist. The timing was remarkable. He got my number from trumpeter Ruud Kleiss, with whom I studied in Alkmaar. Ruud had recommended he give me a call. That’s how I spontaneously joined CineMusic. A nice detail is that years ago at the conservatory, I was taught by CineMusic’s drummer, Mark Eshuis.”
The orchestra works with multiple percussionists. Is that common?
“Yes, that’s very normal. In larger orchestras, you often have several percussionists with different roles. For example, you have a timpanist, a melodic percussionist, and someone for unpitched percussion, like the bass drum and cymbals.
For really big film scores, like Pirates of the Caribbean for instance, you sometimes need even more people. That’s why we work with an extensive setup and have many instruments surrounding us.”
So you play more than just the timpani?
“Definitely. That’s exactly what makes this profession so fun. In one piece you might need a conga, in another a shaker or cymbals. And sometimes you even switch instruments several times within a single song. You’re constantly shifting gears, which makes it challenging and varied.”
How did your musical foundation begin?
“As a child, I was always occupied with rhythm. My parents told me I drummed on everything and even walked in time to the music of things like street organs.
At eight years old, I started with a drum band in Alkmaar. I had my first drum lessons from Peter van Suijlekom. He would later become my father-in-law; that’s always a fun anecdote at parties. When I was twelve, I got the chance to sit behind a drum kit because a friend from class did it too. It was an instant match. From that moment on, I never stopped.”
Do you come from a musical family?
“Not really, although music was present. My grandfather loved music dearly and there’s a professional pianist somewhere in the family, but otherwise, I mostly developed it myself.
My parents always supported me tremendously, though. And I had an agreement with the neighbors that I could practice between four and six in the afternoon. They actually liked it: they could listen to the music while they were cooking.”
And how is that now in your own family?
“It’s always lively and musical. My wife conducts four choirs, gives singing and flute lessons, and works as a (specialized) guest parent for children with ASD and/or behavioral challenges. She uses music as a tool in that work as well. Our own six children are all involved in music or other art forms: dance, saxophone, cello, guitar, and viola. There’s basically always music in the house. It’s part of our lives.”
When did you decide to make music your profession?
“That wasn’t a very obvious path. After high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I also struggled with a stutter, which made me dread programs that required a lot of presenting. Because of that, I turned down all sorts of studies without my parents immediately realizing why. Until my mother said: wouldn’t music be something for you? That was a real eye-opener for me. I hadn’t realized that it could be a serious study or career.
Teachers at the conservatory advised me to take a year to prepare. I performed in musicals, joined a choir, and explored all kinds of musical styles. I also took lessons in general musical theory because I hadn’t mastered things like sight-singing yet. After that, I auditioned and was accepted into the conservatory in Alkmaar.”
You combine performing with teaching. What does that look like?
“I teach two days a week at a music school in Heemskerk and I’m the conductor of a percussion group in Limmen. That’s a group where we play both classical and popular music, using instruments like the marimba, xylophone, and glockenspiel, as well as unpitched percussion. Besides that, I drum for one of my wife’s choirs.
I play a lot—with CineMusic of course, but I also do a lot of freelance work for orchestras, musicals, and other ensembles.”
What makes this profession so special to you?
“For me, music is truly an outlet. It brings peace and helps me let everything go for a while. At the same time, music gives energy, especially when I see people enjoying what we do. That moment when you notice the audience is moved—that remains special. Ultimately, that’s what you do it for.”
What do you like most about playing in the CineMusic Film Orchestra?
“The combination of professionalism and a great atmosphere. Everything is well-organized, there’s a relaxed vibe, but the performance is truly at a high level. That makes it very pleasant to work there. Plus, it’s just a great group of people. You notice that in everything, both on stage and off.”
Do you have a favorite piece from the show?
“That varies a bit. Looking at what I play myself, ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ are favorites. I’m technically very busy there, especially with the timpani. But there are also pieces where I play less and can just enjoy what’s happening around me. I’m basically sitting in the front row watching my colleagues. That’s also very valuable.”
In ‘100 Years of Cinema,’ you use a striking number of instruments. How did that come about?
“We actually came up with that ourselves. The percussion part didn’t originally have much in it, so we thought: maybe we can dress it up with a whistle or something similar. That completely got out of hand. It turned into a horn, a rattle, and much more. In the end, there are now two trap tables full of all kinds of instruments, and I use about fifteen to twenty of them in that piece.”
What would you still like to achieve with CineMusic?
“I would love for the project to gain even more recognition, internationally as well. For example, playing in Germany seems really cool to me.”