(Dutch Blog) On my busiest day at Berklee I had conducting class with Mr. Monseur, private voice with David Schott (prepping for a Ryles gig), improv training with Ed Saindon, and the Herbie Hancock ensemble with Jetro da Silva.
(Dutch Blog) In one week I met Lionel Lioûeke at the Neal Smith lecture, ran into Jason Lindner in the Berklee lobby, and lost my jaw watching Pat Metheny live at the Berklee Performance Center.
(Dutch Blog) I attended a jazz concert in NYC in support of Barack Obama — reflecting on how music and democracy intersect, the power of voice, and what it means to sing for change.
(Dutch Blog) Jeroen and I visited MoMA, then I joined Aaron Goldberg’s crew night at Carnegie Hall — handed flyers for the Jazz for Obama concert, and ended the night in row 9 front row with New Orleans Orchestra and Deedee Bridgewater.
(Dutch Blog) I hung out with Greg Hutchinson late into the night in NYC — we talked life, music, then he took me to his concert with Ravi Coltrane at the Village Vanguard. I sat front row and watched him drum with new intensity.
(Dutch Blog) I hopped back to New York just weeks after Boston — caught Reuben Rogers & Ulysses Owens’ quartet at Dizzy’s, wandered Harlem & Central Park with Jeroen, dined jazz, spoke with Patience Higgins, and slept over at Joe’s again.
(Dutch Blog) In July I led a 3-day songwriting workshop in Leiden: 12 participants crafted new songs, recorded them to CD, had a photoshoot, and performed in studio De Veste.
(Dutch Blog) I returned to NYC, sang with my teacher in a restaurant trio, stayed with Richard Padron when Joe’s couch was occupied, biked through the Bronx, and worked with Barry Harris in a workshop that led to a dawn jam session.
(Dutch Blog) I was invited to perform at the TEDx Fulbright event in Boston on April 24, 2012 — I sang with contrabassist Brian Sandlin in the early 9:00 AM slot, then listened to speakers and talks all day.
(Dutch Blog) Out for a night in Boston atop the Prudential Center, I ran into my ensemble teacher Ron Mahdi playing jazz — so of course I sang two songs with his trio. Didn’t expect to join the ‘big cats’!