Living like a piece of jazz music
Spoiler alert! This is a warning for anyone who goes to the graduation concert of Koen Gijsman, student of Jazz & Pop in Zwolle: do not read any further – this piece contains spoilers.
‘I actually don’t know if I want to give this away, but there is a theme in my concert. I like it when people figure that out along the way.’ Koen hesitates, considers and then continues: ‘Okay, what’s happening is that the line-up is getting smaller. It starts with ten people, then the strings drop out and we’re down to six. Then the horns drop out, so we’re down to three. I as a pianist end up solo.’
Quickly too freaky
Koen is a precision worker. He loves jazz, definitely, but the investigative kind. ‘I like to play with intention and dedication. Every note should matter, even if you have no idea in advance which one it will be. Some musicians don’t want that with jazz, but then it quickly becomes too freaky, I think.’ Koen just sort of ended up in the jazz world by chance. ‘In pre-university education class 4, I decided to take the preparatory course at the Arnhem academy of music, the idea being: if I want to do something with music later on, it would be convenient to have that certificate. And at the end of secondary school I thought: I’d be crazy if I didn’t to apply for the academy of music now. I worked very hard for it for three years. So I went for it then.’ He was not admitted in Arnhem, so he enrolled in philosophy at Leiden. In the last week of the summer holiday, he decided, armed with the feedback from Arnhem and with other music, to audition for Jazz & Pop in Zwolle. Whereas in Arnhem the focus was on the piano, it was somewhat broader in Zwolle: on keys in general; keys and computer are also covered in that course.
Two studies is like juggling
In his second year he decided to also study Philosophy after all. ‘In four years, I completed two bachelors. It was hard work, but it was nice to explore both worlds. I’ve never really been concerned with how I might make money from it. I’m mostly concerned with doing things I find interesting. Maybe it’s procrastination, but it’s also a conscious choice,’ he says, laughing. ‘That’s the good thing about studying, you don’t have a lot of "adult responsibilities" yet.’ It wasn’t easy. ‘Two studies is like juggling. I tried to complete all the subjects according to my schedule. Jazz & Pop is a small course, so there is a great deal of flexibility.’ He chose the lecturers and the class hours that he could fit in well with his Philosophy hours. ‘I’ve been pushing the edges of what’s possible. This allowed me to shape my studies to my liking and there is a lot of room for that in Zwolle.’
In any case, Adorno likes it
Whether philosophy had any influence on his music studies, he is not sure. ‘Philosophy is a subject all its own. I wrote my thesis on aesthetics, after the philosopher Adorno. If you study philosophy, you start looking at the world differently. Adorno was very much anti-reproduction, against the commercialisation of art. Then you start thinking: what I do, is that even artistic? Now if I were composing an atonal piece, I would think: in any case, Adorno likes it.’ He is clear about the philosophy of his own jazz. ‘Right now I’m making modern jazz, pretty acoustic. My jazz is a little more serious, a little more deliberate, although those aren’t the right words. It’s really listening music.’ But how do you develop such a style? ‘In very small steps. By listening a lot, trying out a lot. What do I like? What suits me?’
Shelter - Koen Gijsman Quartet
Carrying on until the last few notes
For Koen, two studies, composing and arranging jazz and a student life were not enough. He was also a member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. ‘That was a kind of big band with strings, woodwind and brass, where there was relatively much room for improvisation. It was pop music with an acoustic sound. I found that hybrid form very interesting to take with me to my final exam.’ So Koen gave a final concert with seven pieces, four of which he composed himself. ‘I hope I can capture the audience with the first piece and then drag them along until the last few notes. I think it is important to do justice to all the musicians who participate. I don’t have to perform because I’m such a virtuoso. I’m not really. I’m not a show-off. It is mainly about the whole and how you can be most effective and most helpful in that. I wrote the piece, but the musicians get the freedom to do with it what they like.’
More focus, less gadding about
Koen lives his life like a piece of jazz music. He gads about, can be very focused and purposeful, only to let go of it again. He looks at what he finds on his way, picks it up, turns it over three times and then uses it. In the coming years it is mainly about more focus, less gadding about. ‘I’m going to study at Codarts in Rotterdam, the Jazz Piano master course. I want to spend two years totally immersed in that. I juggled with two studies for a couple of years and now I want to spend one year focusing entirely on playing the piano. I’m looking forward to finding out what that brings.
On 22 June at 21:00 Koen will give his graduation concert at the Odeon in Zwolle. Click here for more information and tickets.
