Willem

Which musician would you like to play with?

Kendrick Lamar

Which musician has influenced you the most?

Hard to choose one, but to name a few: Vinnie Colaiuta, Justin Tyson, Allan Holdsworth

What can you teach me better on your instrument than any other teacher?

I have spent years trying to perfect my technique on the drums. Technique is important not only for facility to execute ideas, but also to avoid injuries that may happen over time with poor technique. I believe I can put drum students on the right track and take away bad habits as my teachers have taught me. Furthermore, I have spent years at Berklee trying to find a good mental space while playing music. Things like dealing with stage fright, not playing freely due to lack of confidence or being afraid of judgement. These are all things that I deal with and I believe most musicians do if not all. However, I believe I have found ways to improve that aspect and to let go of things that may take away the joy of playing music.

How did you learn to play your instrument?

I started at 3 years old. My dad is an amateur musician and we had an old Roland e-kit at home. I just gravitated towards drums naturally, and I havent been able to shake it ever since! I had great teachers and I started playing gigs at 7 years old. I have just been trying to improve my playing over the years with the help of teachers, Youtube and listening to records with my favorite drummers.

What equipment do you play on today?

Usually Yamaha drums. Cymbals can vary between Meinl, Istanbul and Zildjian.

Which personal trait helped you the most while practicing?

I just personally got addicted to the feeling of figuring out something on the instrument. Anything that sounded foreign or difficult to me has always made me want to learn it and implement it in my playing while using my personal approach.

What does your instrument have that others don't?

Drums are the loudest acoustic instrument in a modern ensemble. As drummers, we have a lot of control over the energy of the music and it is commonly said that we "drive the bus" in that regard. However, we have no harmonic and very limited melodic possibilities which means our role is to support those elements without overstepping.

How do you handle children?

I believe I am quite patient with children, and in the times I have taught children, I learned more or less how to make it work if they're misbehaving/not in the mood. I was a difficult kid to teach and I remember certain teachers doing certain things that helped and made it productive regardless and I plan to implement that if I would need it.

What has been your greatest experience as a musician so far?

I had the chance to play with Tim Miller, Santiago Bosch and Evan Marien at the Lilypad in Cambridge ,MA in January of 2024. These musicians are idols of mine and being given the chance to play alongside that level of musicianship was truly special.

What was the biggest stage you played on?

I am not sure which one is the biggest, but I have played stages such as Théâtre du Léman in Geneva.

Which record would you take with you to the desert island?

Collagically Speaking - R+R=NOW

Besides music, what else is important in your life?

Aside from the obvious spending time with family and close ones, I love playing sports, especially Tennis. I love being physically active and fit in general and I exercise everyday unless I absolutely can't. I also love watching sports like Basketball, Tennis, Formula 1 among others. Additionally, I'm passionate about wildlife and I love to scuba dive whenever I get the chance.

Music style(s)

PopR&BJazzHip HopFusionRockMetalFunk

Level(s) Comfortable Teaching

Beginner to Advanced

What languages can you teach in?

EnglishFrench

Videos

Other Music-related work / goals

Tour with big artists and be able to have my own project with my compositions

Accolades

YYPA (Yamaha Young Performing Artists) 2024 Drum Set winner