Although Ton worked as a trumpeter for many years, you won’t see him on stage at CineMusic Films Live in Concert. Behind the scenes, however, he is one of the driving forces of our film orchestra. Ton is one of the arrangers we work with, which means he writes the sheet music for our musicians.
How did you start arranging?
“I’m originally a professional trumpeter. I started playing when I was ten. Soon, I wanted to figure out how the music I liked was put together. I wanted to be able to play it myself. So, for example, I’d take a James Last record, put on my headphones, and try to transcribe melodies from the record. Later, when I was already working with the Royal Military Band, I regularly wrote arrangements for them as well.”
Did you follow a musical education?
“Yes, I studied trumpet as my major at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. After that, I did Wind Band Conducting at the Rotterdam Conservatory. It became clear to me very early on that I wanted to make music my profession.”
How did you get in touch with CineMusic?
“Through conductor Henk Ummels. Besides CineMusic, he works at Molenaar Edition, a publisher of sheet music. They have been publishing the music I arrange for a while now. I had already created quite a bit of film music for wind orchestras, so Henk asked if I’d like to do that for the CineMusic Film Orchestra too. I thought: let’s just do it. And I have to say, I think it’s amazing.”
What makes arranging for CineMusic so special for you?
“Just that specific line-up of the film orchestra and how they play the music. It might sound a bit strange to say, but when you know what’s possible with those pieces and you hear these musicians play them… well, I can still get quite emotional about it.”
Can you explain how you go about creating an arrangement?
“In principle, scores for some pieces can be found online, but not specifically for the instrumentation of the CineMusic Film Orchestra or any other specific orchestra. Since the arrival of the computer, you have programs where you load an audio file. I then sit with headphones on, listening to such a piece of music a thousand times. With a keyboard at hand, I try to figure out everything that’s being played. For each instrument separately. And if a piece comes along that was originally written only for piano, I adapt it so the whole orchestra can play it. Then I have to let my imagination run wild to turn it into something fun.”
For The Special being performed in May, you were asked to write new choral parts and arrangements. How much time goes into that?
“A huge amount. I got that assignment in mid-November and since then it’s been pretty much a full-time job. People often think ‘oh, just whip up a new little piece’, but hundreds of thousands of notes pass through my hands.”
You also composed the theme for CineMusic. How did that come about?
“The theme for CineMusic had to be somewhat in the style of the 20th Century Fox theme. That’s a very short thing. But CineMusic wanted a piece of music that was longer and could potentially be shortened for certain performances. I was inspired by John Williams and the structure of the music from Star Wars, but you only hear that if you know what to listen for. Often, such a composition starts while I’m doing the dishes. I hum something and suddenly there’s a beginning. That’s how the best things are created.”
Wouldn’t you like to write more of your own compositions?
“I have done that. But I always think, there is so much beautiful music that hasn’t been written for a wind or brass band yet. Why should I have to prove myself?”
What’s on your wish list for CineMusic?
“All sorts of things! For example, the music from Home Alone. They don’t have that in the repertoire yet. In Intouchables has pieces just for piano; if you turn those into music for a full orchestra, you hear something new in an old familiar way. Independence Day would also be fun, or Beetlejuice—that’s a very old movie but it has great music. There’s so much great music. Cutthroat Island is another one—a very mediocre movie, but it has amazing film music.”
Can you still enjoy music in your free time?
“Definitely! I listen to a lot of music. When I was still with the Ministry of Defence, I didn’t really get around to going to a concert. Now that I’m retired, I go to beautiful programs about ten times a year, often to the Radio Philharmonic at Tivoli Vredenburg. A wonderful orchestra and often very flashy programs.”