YOUTH JAZZ INTERNATIONAL
Marijn Meijer
Marijn Meijer is a violinist, composer and educator from the Netherlands. He took violin lessons from the age of six and soon after he started learning piano. At the age of 12 he played his first concert in the big hall of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Marijn attended the Youth Talent Course at the ArtEZ Conservatory and became part of the Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands, touring internationally throughout Europe. In 2019, Marijn graduated with honors in Classical Music Performance from the Conservatory of Music in Utrecht. Marijn toured nationally in the Netherlands with his rock-band 7even Bridges, for which he composed and recorded two albums. Being part of Pella Collective, Marijn recorded and released a world premiere of the piece A Thousand Tongues for piano-trio and electronics, by Missy Mazzoli. With the winner of The Voice Kids, Laura van Kaam, he played several tv-shows and concerts, including one very special performance for the Dutch Queen. In December 2023, Marijn received his Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, where he studied under the renowned jazz violinist Scott Tixier. Through Tixier’s guidance, Marijn connected with the Chamber Music International Youth Ambassadors (CMIYA) program, where he along with a number of inspiring jazz educators introduced a group of mostly classically trained young musicians to the liberating world of jazz and improvisation. This labor of love gave birth to CMIYA Jazz, which later evolved into Youth Jazz International, where Marijn is now serving as its Program Director. Since graduation, Marijn has actively performed both locally and nationally in the United States. His passion for diverse musical styles has led him to participate in a variety of projects spanning classical, jazz, pop, country, and beyond. Some noticeable performances during Marijn’s career include concerts with Jose James, Kurt Elling, The Temptations, the Metropole Orchestra, the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and many small jazz groups in the DFW area, focusing on gypsy jazz. Alongside his demanding performance schedule, Marijn dedicates time to advancing jazz arts and serves on the board of the Jazz String and Fiddle Society of Texas.
Here, he shares some insight on his experience with jazz music!
His Story
As a YJI coach, I am fortunate enough to work on wonderful music with passionate kids that want to play jazz and are eager to improvise and play 'off the books'. Not only does this give them new insights in style and technique, this opportunity opens a door to a new dimension in music, with a path to freedom and personal exploration. "Music connects" is a phrase that comes back to my mind more and more often recently, since I came to the USA and since I started working with YJI. For me personally, I would say that the best friendships I gained in life, came to me through music. Another aspect of that phrase is the possibilities music has brought me over the years. I still remember vividly how a high-school teacher was telling me "Maybe focus more on the University application for ..., because you can always keep music as a hobby!" The fact that my teacher and mentor told me that, made me decide to go into music at that exact moment. Music brought me wonderful trips, good friends and great experiences. I wish for everybody to feel, or to generate, the same freedom to make choices, informed by what your heart tells you. May it be music, art, literature, science, traveling or staying close to home, find out who YOU are.
Challenges
Luck
Freedom in music can be stressful, because it could feel like there is no guidance to grab on to. I was extremely scared to play in front of others, when I first started improvising and started playing jazz. Zooming out to see your personal growth has helped me tremendously. Everyone has their own pace and their own struggles. Focusing on the outcome on the long term, rather than stressing over small steps, will give you back some of that feeling of freedom. Trusting yourself in everything you do, helps you further eventually, even if things don't turn out the way you expected.
In the sense of music and improvisation, luck is an important factor! While improvising, sometimes you have to make a decision in no-time. Sometimes, improvisation is about taking risks only. Like taking a step in the dark, without seeing what is in front of you. Improvisation is turning around a potential mistake into an opportunity. I am just a 'lucky' guy being able to work with young students in guiding them into freedom and to generate opportunities.