Student with music ambitions

Bryan van Putten, born and raised on Aruba but currently studying Media and Culture at EUR, combines his student life with his musical ambitions. On February 13th, he will play in Maria’s Cantina in the J-building.

So how did it all begin? Bryan explains that he started off trying to play on his mom’s guitar, which wasn’t very successful. After watching him struggle for a while, his mom sent him to his first guitar lesson at the age of nine. After a couple of lessons, his passion for music was born, and only continued to grow over time. Bryan played in several bands ranging from reggae to rock music, until he moved to the Netherlands and went his own way as a singer/songwriter.

An experienced performer

Bryan already has quite a list of performances on his music resume, as he won the people’s choice award at the Grote Prijs van Zuid-Holland in 2010, where he competed against the best singer/songwriters in the province. He performed in De Smitse and at Erasmus MC last year, and has weekly performances in café Hemingway. As a singer/songwriter and professional guitarist, he also occasionally performs at private events and receptions. As Bryan is currently finishing his Masters at EUR, he hasn’t spent as much time on playing music as he would have liked over the past year: “Music will always be a big part of my life, but I want to have my Bachelors and Masters degree to back me up in case it doesn’t pay the bills.”

Want to know more

Studium Generale and Erasmus Cultuur have organized Bryan’s upcoming performance, and describe him as “widely known for his tender blend of intimate, melodic confessions permeated by pop hooks, poetic lyrics, and nostalgic sentiments”. For a little preview of what he will play, check ou this website. He will perform in Maria’s Cantina on Monday the 13th of February from 12:00-13:00. For more information about this performance, check out the online event. IS