Meet the Industry: getting familiar with the creative world
Frederieke van Ierland, Academy of Pop Music student, performing at Kunstbende
As a young artist, aside from having a lot of talent, you sometimes have just as many questions. What does the creative world you might want to work in actually look like? What education do you need for that? And what people do you have to meet? We begin with that last question, because Kunstbende and ArtEZ have already answered these questions for you during Meet the Industry. During this Kunstbende event, young artists and people working in the creative industry met each other.
Frederieke van Ierland (17), Kunstbende participant, and Rosalie Meijer (27), ArtEZ staff member, met each other during Meet the Industry. This day was full of panel discussions between young creative makers and people already working in the creative industry. One of these panels was formed by ArtEZ and included Rosalie plus another ArtEZ staff member, an ArtEZ student and Maritska Witte, director of the Academy of Theatre & Dance. A few weeks later, we sat down with Frederieke and Rosalie again. What was it like for them to meet each other?
Both singer-songwriter
When Rosalie tells how important room for trial and error is, Frederieke nods her head in agreement. They often agree with each other. And perhaps that is not so odd, because Rosalie and Frederieke have something in common. In 2019, Rosalie graduated from the Academy of Pop Music. Besides being an artist and songwriter, she is now also a staff member at ArtEZ. Frederieke recently auditioned at the Academy of Pop Music, for exactly the same course as Rosalie: Singer-Songwriter. A few days after giving this interview, Frederieke received the news she was hoping for: she has been accepted!
Support
"The best way to grow is to get feedback from different angles. Especially from people you don’t know, because that feedback is the most honest," Frederieke says. "That's why I wanted so badly to be at Meet the Industry. Especially since ArtEZ participated, because I was up for an audition at the Academy of Pop Music. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven’t been able to see the inside of the Academy of Music yet. But I did want to find out what the programme entailed. So it’s great that I met Rosalie." Rosalie was able to give Frederieke good tips for her online audition, such as: find a quiet place and pretend you are really going to perform, with your camera as an audience. Rosalie: "When I was asked to join Meet the Industry, I immediately said yes. It always makes me very happy to see so much talent in people. In Frederieke, you can see that too, that spark, that enthusiasm. That spark is something not to be extinguished but kindled, and thankfully, I’ve had people help me with that. It’s so important to be motivated. Sure, getting feedback is necessary too, but so is a leg-up!"
Safe platform
Frederieke knew early on that she wanted to make music, although she did not consider herself a natural at the time: "Some kids were able to participate in all sorts of things from a very young age with their children’s talent show voices. My voice wasn’t very good at the time, but I wanted to be a pop star. I used to sing all day. At age 12, I wanted to learn songwriting, so I bought myself a guitar and a ukulele. I finished my first song when I was thirteen. When I heard about Kunstbende from a teacher, I thought, this is a safe platform. It was for everyone, so there weren't arbitrary rules about who could and couldn't participate." Frederieke had never been on a stage before and her nerves got to her a bit; however, "precisely because they were so open at Kunstbende, I felt free and relaxed enough to go on stage after all. Now I’m participating for the fourth time and already have many connections in music. That’s really cool." According to Rosalie, Frederieke hit the nail on the head: "Having such a safe environment where you can get tips and feedback and attend workshops is great for a beginning artist. People often say, sign up for The Voice Kids! But that means you’ll be on TV while you are still growing and need space to grow up at at your own pace. My voice was not mature until the end of my time in the Academy of Music. Until then, you have to practise a lot."
A boat you steer yourself
Once you enrol in an art programme, you haven’t yet finished learning. No, that’s when it starts, as Rosalie explains: "An art school in particular offers room for trial and error. You have to discover yourself throughout the programme. Frederieke will also recognise this: you write your songs with all your heart and soul, but then you have to sell it to the outside world. That doesn’t feel right until you’ve really got to know yourself. I got all the resources for that at the Academy of Pop Music. All your lecturers, who are artists or songwriters themselves, are also your network. I view it like this: The school offers you all the materials for a boat. But you have to build that boat yourself, because after graduation, you’re the one who has to steer it. As an art student, you have to take a lot of initiative, but then you can also get a lot out of it."
Believing in yourself
Frederieke went to grammar school. Her choice for the Academy of Music was not a very common one there, she says. "Many people expect you to become a judge, or study architecture or medicine. But I was convinced that I wanted to be in the music industry! Rather than heeding my desire to become a musician, my school teachers kept insisting that I needed to come up with a plan B. Fortunately, there were also teachers who completely agreed with me, as did my parents, but I really had to believe in myself. The experiences and connections I’ve already gained through Kunstbende do help with that."
Discovering what suits you
It is recognisable for Rosalie, who didn’t dare to choose music right after her pre-university education. That is why she first enrolled in a public administration programme. After three years, she decided to audition for the Academy of Pop Music. I was 21 at the time. "My parents would frown at me, though, and ask if I was sure. In hindsight, incredibly unjustified. Because an art education isn’t exactly a picnic! You really have to make something of it yourself." And you can shape that yourself, Rosalie explains. "You don’t graduate after four years with your whole class in, say, administrative law, after which everyone has had exactly the same subjects. Every Academy of Music student really has their own profile. One may be excellent at music management, another may start their own teaching practice. One is really a songwriter, another more of a session musician. You’ll find out who you are along the way. You get four years to discover what suits you."
Sharing Her Truth
Rosalie thinks it is great to see that Kunstbende can be a preparatory stage for choosing an art course: "Because a course like this really encourages you to get down to business, and you need that attitude at the academy of music too. Don’t hide in your room. Get out there. Get to know people in the business. Perform." Isn’t that scary, going up on stage? Frederieke had to get used to it the first time: "At that time, I thought: Oh wow, the others are so good. But after a few years of Kunstbende, I mainly think: I get to be on stage again! I get to share my truth again, and it feels good." Rosalie: "Frederieke puts that very aptly when she said that she got to share her truth again." Laughing, Frederieke says: "I’m going to steal that!" That was a joke, of course, but it sums up nicely how Meet The Industry turned out for the singer-songwriters. Wherever you are in your creative career, from graduated artist to young talent: if you talk to each other, you both benefit. And maybe we will see Frederieke back on Meet the Industry in four years. On the ArtEZ panel, who knows.
Kunstbende is the largest community for creative youngsters aged 13 to 18 in the Netherlands. ArtEZ is one of the main partners of Kunstbende. This is how ArtEZ helps encourage young artistic talent. Click here for more information about the partnership between Kunstbende and ArtEZ.