ChocoJazz winter ’17

While traveling between New York City and the Netherlands, Pastry Chef ChocoTed and Jazz singer Vivienne Aerts will invite you in a beautiful venue and present amazing new dishes, tickling flavors and swinging music. An event full of Jazz and Chocolate. Submerge yourself in the experience of cool jazzclubs and the hottest restaurants.

All culinary one-bites are based on art, emotions and music and are driven by haute cuisine techniques. Don’t expect only chocolate, but also cake, coffee foam, kardemom gel, infused rosewater, amarena-cherries blanched in port wine, hibiscus crumbles and other explosions in your mouth. And, while Ted is filling the evening with his goodies, Vivienne mixes her original compositions with the electronic inventiveness from Dutch bass player Robin Koerts. Together they are combining jazz, live loops, visuals and soundbites. The efforts of Robin, who is also known from the video-samples of the Wereld Draait Door (a Dutch tv-show), and Vivienne’s vocal jazz songs (with voice, loops, ipad apps and synthesizer) blend together in this new musical concept. Video fragments like youtube drummers, tennis players, didgeridoos, the Simpsons and Wally, with their visuals ánd their sounds, are all part of the compositions.

See here the aftermovie:

ChocoJazz June ’16

This summer Teddy and I decided to collaborate in this experimental event called : ChocoJazz!

1 night, 10 courses, 10 songs, 100 guests: It was a huge success. The NieuwPlaatz was packed with amazing people, enjoying amazing food, drinks, art and of course: jazz! We could not have been more happy with the result and to see so many people enjoying themselves with some quality food and music in a loose, unpretentious vibe.

See here the aftermovie!

More info on : www.chocojazz.com

 

Songwriting workshop @ Leiden University LAK

This summer I was teaching a summer workshop week for the University of Leiden at their cultural center (called LAK.) The goal was to write and record your own song in 4 days.

During the first day we spoke about writing better lyrics, the second day we spoke about writing music, chords, and melodies. On the third day the students worked on their new song and the fourth day we recorded the final product. I am superproud of my students because some of them never wrote a song and they all worked so hard and did such a great job!!

Here you can listen:

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By the way… a similar workshop happened in 2012 where I worked with 6 teenage students and 6 adult students and if you are  interested in the songs they wrote, listen here:

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Concert with Lee Konitz & Florian Weber

2014-01-27 07.05.43Last January I organized a concert during the Leidse Jazz Week in the Hooglandse Kerk in the Netherlands, a big church in the center of Leiden. I really wanted to perform with Florian Weber and since he is on tour a lot with Lee Konitz we decided that it was nice to ask him too.

I was sponsored by the municipality of Leiden and some private sponsors and I’m very thankful that it came together with the programmer of the other concerts in the Church.

The whole weekend was amazing. Meeting and spending time with Lee and Florian, hearing his stories and sharing the stage was a life changing experience. I’m so humble and thankful for this opportunity!

See here some pictures.

Workshop Mindful Improvisation

For a while – after getting my master degree as a Psychologist in the Netherlands I’ve been working in a private practice. Since I got to Berklee I have been (only) using these skills in my music using it as a tool for improvisation, so last summer I wanted to organize a workshop where people can combine mindfulness and improvisation. When I spoke with Bibi van den Dijck – a good friend of mine, we got inspired to organize a day together. Bibi is a classical trained vocalist and also teaches “free singing” to groups and individuals.

When you use music as a tool for improvisation you will notice more connection between the body and the brain. Also it very handy to be able to improvise in daily life. When people do the exercise we gave them, sometimes they would stumble upon some basic fears or habits they would have problems with in their lives. It was a super nice day, with a lot of insight and relaxation, and we will surely do it again next year!

Workshop Songwriting (verslag juli 2012)

In juli was ik dus in Nederland en gaf ik een workshop Songwriting in scheltema Leiden. De workshop was een succes. Twee keer drie dagen ben ik bezig geweest met 2*6 cursisten die in korte tijd een nieuw nummer schreven en deze ook op cd hebben opgenomen. Het was super om met deze 12 verschillende cursisten te werken. Iedereen had zijn eigen manier van tekst en muziek schrijven, sommigen met veel ervaring, sommigen met weinig. Er werd samengewerkt en elk liedje werd anders. Het was leuk te zien hoe iedereen zijn persoonlijkheid en emoties in de liedjes stopte. Het opnemen was een uitdaging, alle techniek was er, maar het was veel werk in weinig tijd. De zes nummers van beiden workshops zijn op de derde dag opgenomen.

Daarnaast is er ook een fotoshoot geweest door Eelkje Colmjon. Klik hier voor de foto’s van de jeugd en van de volwassenen. Ook is het gefilmd door UNITY TV en hebben de twee groepen een optreden gehad in studio de Veste. Voor overige foto ga naar de website van de Leidse Glibber. En, 23 augustus hebben zij, samen met andere Leidse songwriters, nog een exclusief optreden gehad in Scheltema Leiden. Mocht je volgend jaar mee willen doen… Laat het me weten: info@vivienneaerts.nl

Verdere impressies vindt je op :