From minor to professional tour: 3 Jazz & Pop students tour with Herman van Veen

At the ArtEZ Academy of Music in Zwolle, classmates Britt, Saranya and Lieke often collaborated during their four years during the Bachelor Jazz & Pop. But it wasn’t until all three took the Theatre Project minor during their Bachelor Jazz & Pop course that they created an entire theatre show together. The three students have enjoyed their studies immensely, saying it’s given them “everything they expected and more.” “The Theatre Project minor was a welcome addition to the Jazz & Pop course, which is mostly focused on the context of jazz and finding the groove, so to speak,” says Saranya. “This minor gave me a chance to approach music from my personal and emotional connection to it.”

Theatre Project minor

During Britt and Saranya’s last year of study, and Lieke’s second to last, the three elected to take the Theatre Project minor, a voluntary annual project offered to both Jazz & Pop and Music in Education students. In this biennial minor, lecturers pick a well-known Dutch artist whose oevre the students dive into and re-interpret in their own way. During Britt, Saranya and Lieke’s minor, this deep dive was into Herman van Veen and his works.

Herman van Veen arrangements

The three students’ work during the minor consisted of original arrangements and interpretations of Herman van Veen’s music. They then created an original theatre show to bring their interpretations to life during the ArtEZ Op de Planken showcase event. The arrangements all came from the heart, using their connection to van Veen’s poetry and music to create extremely personal pockets of expression, uniquely their own.” To realise the show, they had direction from a few faculty members, notably the director, Aike Dirkzwager and singing coach, Nienke Caljouw. Aike helped them transform their expression from inward to outward focus, helping them own the stage. Nienke turned out to be the key that unlocked their opportunity to perform in van Veen’s showcase tour.

Off-site masterclass at the Herman van Veen Arts Center

“All of our teachers always go above and beyond,” says Britt, “and that’s what Nienke did. She arranged a masterclass with Herman van Veen for our entire class at his Arts Center outside Amersfoort. That’s where we showed van Veen some of our arrangements of his works done for our Theatre Project minor.”

Performing solos on Herman’s tour

Herman liked the arrangements so much that he ended up inviting Britt, Saranya and Lieke to tour with him around Christmastime. “Nienke played a huge role in that,” Lieke says. “After the masterclass, she told us to be on the lookout for a phone call.” After receiving the formal invitation to tour, it was clear that the three ladies’ talent had made a deep impression on Herman. “Not only are we performing our arrangements as a group, but he wants us each to perform one of our original songs as solos,” Lieke says.

"The tour will be performed specifically in churches throughout the Netherlands. That also makes it nicer for our solos, because he has a whole plan around utilising the acoustics of the churches. If you want to find out why, well, come see the show! It’s going to be really something,” Britt suggests. Case in point: all of their shows sold out within twenty four hours after the initial press coverage.

Caring, driven teachers

“It really was all thanks to Nienke and the Theatre Project minor at large that we get to do this,” Saranya admits. “She didn’t have to take the risk and arrange that masterclass with him. But she believes in us, and cares so much about our success. She was committed to using her personal network to help us as budding students.” “The other teachers too,” Britt adds. “We had something impressive to show him because we had spent the time in the minor to really get to know his extensive repertoire.”

“What you want to do is good enough”

The three students have some advice for future students in the course as well. All three agree on authenticity as the most important factor, from which all other benefits should grow. “Take what you like as inspiration, but make sure to stay true to yourself. What you like and want to do is good enough,” Britt says. Lieke agrees: “Being open to new ideas is quite important, but just as much is believing in the merit of what you have to say. Remember why you came to conservatory in the first place.” Saranya adds a third layer, which is to “be open-minded to new perspectives, not just new ideas. I experienced a lot of different perspectives and teaching methods from my teachers. I only realized after the fact how helpful that. Had I had more patience when a teacher’s method wasn’t clear to me from the get-go, I think I would have blossomed even more.”

More information about the bachelor's course Jazz & Pop 

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• Lieke Bax
• Britt Ottenhoff
• Saranya Schaap