Student Academy of Music in Enschede Mariska Veringmeier: “I hadn’t even started this part-time course yet and doors were already opening for me”
- Music
- Education in Art
Mariska Veringmeier says the fact that she can earn a living entirely from music is ‘a dream come true’. “It’s good to dwell on that a bit more sometimes,” she says with a laugh. After the Academy of Pop Music, she was keen to continue her studies and therefore opted for the two-year part-time Tailor Made Music in Education course at the ArtEZ Academy of Music in Enschede. These days, she is busy with all sorts of things. “My life feels a lot more relaxed now.”
She has recently moved to The Hague, combines a permanent job as a music teacher in secondary education with teaching musical theatre to children and she also regularly shines on stage as a singer. Sounds pretty busy? “Admittedly, it is sometimes difficult to keep the balance right,” Mariska says. “Combining fixed hours at a secondary school with working for yourself is sometimes challenging. But I try to manage everything as best I can. The funny thing is that even though I work in music full-time now, I feel much more at peace than during my student days. As a student, I was either in school or working. In the evenings as well. Now I have more routine and therefore free time.”
I hadn’t even started this part-time course yet and doors were already opening for me”
Impact
Because Mariska was only 23 when she completed the Academy of Pop Music and wanted to delve further into the profession of music teaching, she decided to follow a second course. It ticked all the right boxes. “I enjoyed the Tailor Made Music in Education course so much,” she says. “At the Academy of Pop Music, I taught individual singing lessons, in which you really develop a bond with your students. Then you find yourself in front of a class of 30 children; that is suddenly a very different experience. But I loved it.” During the course, she learned all about classroom management, group dynamics and creating lesson plans. “How to be in front of a class, that is something I really learned during that course.”
She was surprised at the impact of her choice for the part-time Tailor Made Music in Education course. “When I applied to Oyfo in Hengelo, I was immediately hired as a teacher. Just taking the step to study Tailor Made Music in Education opened doors. My background was also the reason I found a job fairly quickly at a secondary school in The Hague. It turned out I was one of the few who had a teaching qualification.”
More than just big stages
Besides her job as a music teacher, Mariska teaches musical theatre to children on a freelance basis and she performs regularly as a singer. The combination of a fixed salary and freelancing really suits her. “This way, I don’t stress about money,” she explains. “Whether I can pay my monthly bills does not depend on a gig. That thought alone gives a lot of peace of mind. As a result, I actually feel more freedom in my musicianship.” Where does she perform? ? At small festivals, events, basically anything where something is going on. Mariska explains: “As a brand-new student, you don’t yet realise how many possibilities there are for performing. You often only have your sights set on those big venues and theatres. And you should definitely try to work your way up to those. But there is so much more.”
I advise everyone against comparing themselves to others"
When asked if it is difficult to fully support yourself financially through music, Mariska is clear. “If you want to start teaching, you can find work quite easily. Especially with a teaching qualification under your belt, you can get hired quickly.” For performing artists, she says, it is a bit more complicated. “That involves a mix of initiative and a bit of luck,” she explains. “Discipline is essential, and you have to have the courage to network. It’s a bit more unpredictable in that respect.”
Embracing your own style
Is she happy with her working life at the moment? Mariska nods. “I get a lot of enjoyment from teaching. Looking at my job as a singer, I would like to grow much further in that. Perform more, release a new album – those kinds of things. In that area I still have a lot of dreams, which is how it should be, I think.”
Looking back on her early days at ArtEZ Academy of Music in Enschede, she says she could have been a bit more secure about what she was doing. “As a 17-year-old, you don’t know it will all work out in the end. I was constantly comparing myself to others – something I would advise everyone against. Someone else’s path is not your path. I often wondered why that one classmate got a particular gig and I didn’t, while at the same time I had my own gigs. I didn’t see that then. Everyone has their own style, and it’s important to embrace that.”
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