When I was between 6 and 8 years of age I followed piano lessons for
two years. When I was 11, I started playing the guitar. My mother was
following classes with Frans Smeels and she gave me some sheets with
chords that I could sort out by myself. When I was 13 years old I could
attend classes with Frans as well and learned to play broken chords as
well, playing songs. When I was 15 years old I started classes with
Rijndert van Woudenberg. In addition to my chords and some Harry
Sacksioni that I had sorted out by ear from the record, he taught me
classical guitar. We played Jimi Hendrix and jazz on the electrical
guitar as well, but after that I kept the pop music for myself and
continued with the classical repertoire during classes, because I
wanted to enter the conservatory.
In 1998 I auditioned at The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam and was accepted at all three. I decided to study at the Sweelinck Constervatory in Amsterdam and followed my main course, classical guitar, with Lex Eisenhardt. Apart from that I studied a second course electrical guitar (pop and jazz) with Hans Kunneman for four years and Flamenco with Eric Vaarzon Morel for two years.
Before, during and after my study at the conservatory I played in
different classical ensembles, accompanied a saxophonist, a female
singer and a flutist, but made original songs ass well with various
bands, visited jam sessions, accompanied Flamenco dancing lessons,
played in a Flamenco-trio (with female singer and dancer) and led a small
choir.
After an interruption of two years I graduated in 2006.
I teach the guitar since I was 15 years old. Back then I had
followed guitar lessons only for two years myself and a fellow student
at school asked our music teacher if he could teach her a song on the
guitar. He said -completely in line with the Montessori way of
thinking- that she could as well ask me. Although I was nervous and
thought I wasn't going to be able to, it worked-out better then
expected and apparently my student, who by then already played the
violoncello very beautifully, liked it as well. I still find teaching
very nice and rewarding work.
Before, during and after my study at the conservatory I taught the guitar, piano and theory at home and at student's homes. Already before I graduated I was asked to teach at Pianoleswinkel Marjolijn (now Muziekleswinkel Marjolijn). I worked there from 2005 up to and including 2010 and, because of the demography of the neigbourhood, many young children came to the lessons. Both my students and myself always had a lot of fun doing the classes.