{"id":11411,"date":"2011-10-30T18:54:29","date_gmt":"2011-10-30T18:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress72\/?p=20167"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:35","slug":"the-search-for-eurs-next-top-band","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2011\/10\/30\/the-search-for-eurs-next-top-band\/","title":{"rendered":"The search for EUR’s Next Top Band"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ESN has organized a range of jam sessions for students the coming six weeks, of which the first was held this Monday, the 24th of October. From 20:00 to 22:00, ESN had reserved two studios and band coaches to give the musicians a chance to play their instruments together.<\/p>\n

Jonah Kotzer, an exchange student from Canada, explains it\u2019s quite difficult for him to find a place to play: \u2018I play drums, and couldn\u2019t take my own set with me to Rotterdam. I\u2019ve tried playing in music stores, but they sent me away. So this is a great opportunity for me to get my hands on a drum set again.\u2019<\/p>\n

Lack of instruments<\/b><\/p>\n

So what is behind this new ESN initiative? Jasper Westerveld of ESN says he knew some internationals who really wanted to play music, but didn\u2019t have an instrument to actually do it. By cooperating with Erasmus Cultuur and SKVR (an arts and culture organization in Rotterdam), Jasper and two other international students organized these jam sessions together. Jasper explains the aim of this project: \u2018The overall goal is to create a band, or several bands, and to let them perform somewhere in Rotterdam at the end of the jam sessions.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I can\u2019t play reggae on my own\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

The students split up into two studios and start to play. In one room, Marjolein Schippers, a Dutch Arts and Media student, is singing Son of a Preacher Man.\u00a0 She has performed in the J-building on EUR before. \u2018We got some really nice reactions to those performances. Now I just sing at home, but I\u2019d love to join a band.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u00a0In the other room, Bryan van Putten, a Dutch Master student in Media and Culture, is jamming with three other musicians. Bryan tells about his experience in playing music: \u2018I\u2019ve been into music since I was nine. I\u2019m a singer-songwriter, but playing with a band is different. You just can\u2019t play reggae all by yourself, you know.\u2019 And indeed, Bryan and his fellow musicians play not only Bob Marley, but also Kings of Leon and Nirvana.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

After the session is over, the reactions are very positive. Jonah: \u2018I didn\u2019t expect a lot except for a drum set to play on, but I found some likeminded people and really enjoyed myself here.\u2019 Patrick Keller, a Swiss exchange student, is also enthusiastic about the first session: \u2018It was cool. I\u2019m definitely planning on going the next time.\u2019<\/p>\n

Details<\/b><\/p>\n

On this first jamming session, only eight students were present, as several other couldn\u2019t make it due to exams. The coming five weeks, ESN will organize a jam session every Monday. If you want to jam along, go to the ESN Rotterdam Music group <\/a>on Facebook, and join the musicians! IS<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t

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