The German Youth Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble of young jazz musicians between the ages of 17 and 24, visited the UAE last month and performed in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The lovely people over at the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region and Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (Ductac) arranged a candid chat between GN Focus and Lennart Allkemper (18), Max Schweder (24), Pascal Bartoszak (19), Marc Doffey (19) and Nils Wrasse (20) after a rather impromptu performance for diners and visitors at the Fashion Dome in the Mall of the Emirates.
Having first picked up the saxophone at the age of seven, Max Schweder has been playing ever since. Schweder joined the German Youth Jazz Orchestra of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2008 and has travelled to countries such as China and Senegal, spreading the sound of music.
Nils Wrasse, on the other hand, is one of the newest members to join the troop. When asked about what he loves most when performing in front of a live audience, he says, "You can practise with your fellow musicians for hours. However, when the time comes to play onstage, that feeling is special. The audience makes it all worth it. We generally perform for quiet and silent audiences with applause at the end; however, the audience here in the UAE is lively and energetic. We love it!"
Schweder, the eldest member of the troupe, says that they get along with each other with ease. "We are like brothers and are one big happy family; we generally don't have any issues and get along really well. Our bassist and pianist are actually brothers."
Fun and games
Being professional musicians doesn't mean they can't have fun. Once at band camp, they managed to (safely) tamper with Bartoszak's saxophone. Bartoszak, the leader of the orchestra, who spends an average of 20 minutes a day preparing/cleaning and tending to his instrument, did not find it very amusing.
The group practises for an average of five to six hours a day, seven days a week. "It's worth it; I see myself as a professional musician in the future, touring and playing all over the world," says Wrasse. Allkemper, on the other hand, feels that his music gives him the opportunity to experience different cultures. "Playing music around the world helps us meet several new people and go places we normally wouldn't visit at our age. This is extremely interesting as there is so much out there to see."
Musical legends such as Julian ‘Cannonball' Adderley, Phil Woods and Michael Brecker are inspirational to these young musicians. When asked which musician they would love to jam with, if given the chance, Wrasse opted for the jazz guitarist and composer Patrick Metheny and Doffey picked Herbie Hancock, the jazz pianist and composer.
Following your passion doesn't generally mean you have to give up other important things such as schoolwork, TV shows and Facebook. Wrasse recommends an ideal way to strike the perfect balance for the average aspiring musician. "Facebook isn't much of a priority actually; we can do without it. When you have a true passion for music, other things seem irrelevant. We still check our Facebook and keep up to date with what's going on, but it's not that significant. You could say that music is slightly more important than school. However, I still work hard and study because school is essential."
Similar to almost all youngsters around the world, the band members have their quirks as well. Doffey makes it a point to collect coins from countries his travels take him and Wrasse will not leave a city without buying a present for his mum.
Handling fame
With great fame comes a great fan base and rock and roll groupies, who follow their favourite bands wherever they go and keep abreast of the latest developments. Does this phenomenon occur to jazz orchestra musicians as well? Wrasse explains, "Yeah! When I played in the US some time ago, there were two girls right at the front who got really excited watching me play. What I found out later was that they had clicked pictures of my performance, uploaded it to Facebook and were arguing among themselves in the picture comments about how ‘cute' I look. It was an awkward day."
After the interview, the Orchestra went on to impress the audience that packed the Ductac the next day, and left the UAE to continue jazzing up the Gulf. The next stop on their tour: Kuwait.
