My instruments and other musical studies

First of all I've completed all the required years of music theory training in the Belgian music academy system. The last two years being the two most important years, I scored 88 % and 85 % respectively in the end of year examinations of the (French-language) music academy: Académie de Musique Jean Absil. I started off my theoretical studies in Institut de Rythmique Jaques Dalcroze, which used a different pedagogical method in teaching music theory and in addition all students were obliged to take a weekly lesson of so-called “rythmique”. This lesson was based on rhythms and making participants understand how these rhythms are related to each other and by using your body distinguish rhythms.

At school music is one of my main subjects. This year I will graduate from the Finnish-language section of the European School in Belgium. For the last two years I have concentrated on music as one of the strong subjects and it will be a part of my European Baccalaureate examination. The music course includes composing, performing, music theory and music history. We are judged on all this topics and at the end we get a mark which is as important as for example my maths, mother tongue or second language (English) marks.

Alongside theoretical studies, I started my first instrument at the age of six and this was the piano at the Dalcroze Institute. As I was still young the school proposed me to take an improvasation class, which meant that I could explore the sounds of the piano before starting to lto play from a score. I played the piano for seven years in music academies and then I had a break from music academies and carried on playing in my free-time. One year I took part in a class meant for adults to learn how to improvise music for silent films on the piano. After a few years' break I started the harpsichord this year, so that playing a keyboard instrument would flow again.

Early on I was eager to try various instruments. When I was about 8 I played a year of djembé in a group. I also played a year of the recorder in primary school as an after school acivity. I started the accordeon when I was ten in Dutch-language Rijksmuziekacademie F. Chopin and now I've reached the last year meaning H3 (this is the 10^th year in theory but in reality my 8^th year). As for the percussions (drums, snare drum, timpani, marimba and xylophone) I started when I was 11 and I'm now in level H1 (in theory 8^th year in reality 7^th year). On top of this, I've sung in the school choir for two years in 4^th and 5^th primary and then later a part of music theory studies was to sing in a choir during the last two years of study.

I took part for two years in a “improvisation group” where people who play different instruments can play together improvising. Nothing is prepared and every time the improvisation is different. In this ensemble I've mostly played the piano and the accordeon and sometimes the percussions. We also play inside the piano and use the piano as a percussion.