He is one of the last to head home after a CineMusic Films Live in Concert performance. Not because he stays late to chat, but because he has a whole row of instruments to pack up and take with him. “When you play in the woodwind section, you never play just one instrument.” Read his story about moving to the Netherlands, beautiful dreams, and the challenges of CineMusic.
What is your role at CineMusic?
“At CineMusic, I play in the woodwind section. I play several instruments; in our orchestra, those are the bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone. I am also the section leader of the wind group. That means I maintain an overview within the wind section. I coordinate with production on who plays when, as everyone has a stand-in in case someone gets sick or is unavailable. Additionally, I am the point of contact for practical matters, such as sound or the stage setup. Sometimes I consult with the conductor or production if changes in the lineup are needed. It’s a fun role.”
How did you get involved with CineMusic?
“In December 2019, I was called by an old acquaintance, Ruud Luttikhuizen, asking if I wanted to play in two concerts. I already knew Ruud from previous musical collaborations, so I immediately said yes. Unfortunately, COVID-19 threw a wrench in the works and everything came to a standstill. But when we were allowed to play again for a short while in between, we started with a small lineup. By now, CineMusic has grown into a large orchestra playing in theaters across the country.”
Did you expect this success when you started?
“No, not at all. I thought it would be a nice small-scale project, with performances in small venues. But now we are playing in major theaters. The success is often linked to the orchestra, and of course, that is a vital part of it, but we also owe it to the technical crew. In my opinion, the technical side runs like clockwork. We almost never have issues where something doesn’t work or the sound feeds back. As far as I know, the sound in the hall is always good too. That’s fantastic.”
How did you start with music yourself?
“I started clarinet lessons when I was twelve. Before that, I played a bit of piano, but my real passion was the saxophone. Unfortunately, at that time in Bonn (Germany), where I come from, the music school didn’t offer saxophone lessons, so I chose the clarinet. Later, I was able to borrow a tenor sax from a school orchestra and taught myself how to play. It was mostly a matter of a lot of practice and experimentation. It wasn’t until the lead-up to my studies at the conservatory in Hilversum that I received actual saxophone lessons.”
What attracted you so much to the saxophone?
“The versatility. A saxophone fits into almost any genre: jazz, pop, big band, soul. The instrument has a rich sound and can hold its own both as a solo instrument and in a group. It’s a versatile instrument. You just don’t see it often in classical orchestras. The saxophone has only existed for about 170 years, so many classical composers didn’t write music for it.”
How was your time at the conservatory?
“I went to the conservatory in Hilversum; at the time, there was a fairly large conservatory there focused on light music. You had the Metropole Orchestra, the Skymasters (a broadcasting band from the AVRO), and you had the Nick Vollebregt jazz café in Laren. The people who were in the broadcasting orchestras taught at that conservatory. There were many international students, I had great contact with the teachers, we played in big bands, and even went on tour. It was a fun time.”
How did you find moving to the Netherlands?
“It was quite a step to come from Germany to the Netherlands for my education. Especially in the 80s, when the sentiment towards Germans was still quite different than it is now. That hit me pretty hard. Comments like ‘I want my bike back,’ or cars cutting me off because I had German license plates. When I was 15, I went on holiday to the Netherlands for the first time. That was in 1979, the time of rising environmental awareness and peace demonstrations; the progressive climate of that time really appealed to me. But I didn’t know that raw undercurrent. Nowadays, it’s different. I wonder if children going to primary school now even know what a ‘mof’ is.
So it took some doing, but I’m glad I went to the Netherlands. I wouldn’t want to go back to Germany now.”
What do you do besides CineMusic Films Live in Concert?
“I teach saxophone two days a week in Zaanstad. Recently, I started teaching at the conservatory in Amsterdam. I have two other bands I play in, including The Ramblers, and I conduct two big bands. And I write arrangements for various ensembles, including CineMusic.”
What do you find most special about this orchestra?
“The combination of a fairly large wind group with the strings and the rhythm section behind it. This allows us to play a lot of music—quite dramatic, heavy music, but also very small, a bit poppy, or even jazzy. Plus the combination with the film footage. Additionally, the dynamics within the orchestra are unique: we have both young musicians and experienced professionals. That creates an energetic and inspiring atmosphere.”
Do you have a favorite piece that you play with CineMusic Films Live in Concert?
“Technically, I find E.T. and Harry Potter challenging. Those pieces are full of fast runs and varying tempos. Especially on the bass clarinet, I’m playing the whole time. In some passages, I have to be extremely concentrated so the sound doesn’t break. Emotionally, Schindler’s List and The Godfather always touch me. But I’m also proud of the arrangements I’ve made myself.”
If anything were possible, what would you like to achieve with the CineMusic Film Orchestra?
“I think it would be really cool to record original music for a cinema film with this orchestra. And not so much for a massive Hollywood-style movie, but preferably for a European production with an artistic touch. And then music that is a little bit raw. That would be a completely new experience for our orchestra.”