Initially, she wanted to play the drums, but the then 11-year-old Njola ended up with the fife. In hindsight, it was a great choice, as the flute turned out to be her great musical love. However, things went wrong when she went to the conservatory at the age of 18th. “I was too young to understand that I actually had to study.” 13 years later, she resumed her studies and now she shines as a flutist.
How did you start making music?
“In Limburg, where I used to live, my father was a drum major for a fife and drum band. Although I actually wanted to drum, I chose the flute because drumming was mostly done by boys back then. I was 11 at the time. That choice turned out to be perfect in the end.”
Do you come from a musical family?
“No, not really. My father did play the accordion, but that was before I was born. My mother didn’t do anything with music. And it’s not much different in my own family now. My partner is a drummer, though. My son and stepdaughter are real music lovers who go to concerts a lot, but unfortunately they don’t play any instruments themselves.”
When did you know you wanted to make music your profession?
“In high school, I spent every afternoon at the music school with instrumental lessons, ensemble playing, and theory classes. After high school, I went to the conservatory in Maastricht, but I was still too young and didn’t understand the importance of hours of practice and theory subjects. I quit after a year. Then I worked in an office and started a family. When I was 31, I realized that it was making me unhappy. I had always kept playing, so I decided to go back to the conservatory. This time, I did understand why all those practice hours and theory subjects were necessary.”
What was it like being among younger students at a later age?
“The age difference was hardly noticeable because we all shared the same passion. The only downside was that I was less flexible because of my family. The diversity in the group made it very pleasant, and I felt completely accepted.”
How did you combine that with your family?
“The conservatory only required two days of attendance for theory and practical lessons. The rest was self-study. Because my son was at school, I could practice the flute during the day and work on theory subjects in the evening.”
Which instruments do you play?
“I play the flute, piccolo, alto flute, tin whistle, and alto sax. The tin whistle is an Irish flute that I use for Harry Potter, among other things. Transporting all these instruments for a concert is always quite an undertaking.”
What else do you do besides CineMusic?
“‘In the mornings, I give music lessons to toddlers and preschoolers aged one to four, where a parent is always present. The main goal is to encourage parents to sing more with their children. I also teach recorder, flute, and saxophone, both at my home and at two music associations. I also play in the trio Saen Amare with pianist Ruud Luttikhuizen and trumpeter Ruud Kleiss, and I accompany amateur musical theater groups.”
How does that work with those musicals?
“The amateur groups rehearse their musical for a whole year. As an orchestra, we only join at the last minute, usually with only one or two rehearsals, followed by the dress rehearsal and the performances. It’s a short and intensive process where you actually have to know the musical completely by the first rehearsal. The rehearsals are mainly for the finishing touches.”
How did you get involved with CineMusic?
“Through Ruud Luttikhuizen, the pianist. We’ve been playing together in our trio for about 15 years. When John van der Sluijs came up with the idea for CineMusic, he asked Ruud to put together an orchestra because of his network of musicians. Ruud approached me.”
What do you find special about CineMusic?
“The high level of the musicians is impressive. When I went to the conservatory, my focus was mainly on teaching, which I still love doing. The fact that I now also get to play in this orchestra feels like an extra gift. What I find special about the concert shows is that the orchestra’s timing has to be perfect because we have to play in sync with the film images.”
What is your favorite CineMusic piece to play?
“Jungle Book is my favorite, in which I have some flute solos. The alternation between quiet, melodic passages and swinging pieces makes it particularly interesting for flute and saxophone. Plus, our woodwind section gets a nice moment in the spotlight there.”
You’re playing 30 shows for CineMusic this season. Are you still busy rehearsing and preparing in between?
“With short periods between performances, extra preparation isn’t necessary, but during longer breaks, I play through the challenging pieces again. I also continuously work on maintaining my tone and sound. Practicing actually never stops.”
What would you still like to achieve with CineMusic?
“An international tour, for example through Germany, sounds amazing to me. Right now you only see each other during performances, but during a tour of, say, two weeks, you get to know each other even better.”