FROM BELGIUM WITH LOVE ALWAYS
DIRK SCHREURS Professor of music since 1994, teaching piano among other things. Dirk also developed a number of educational program in the field of jazz pedagogy. He has composed and arranged over 250 tunes. Over the years, he has crossed paths with many great musicians.
Nowadays you can find him at jazz clubs, theatres and on festival stages sitting in with The Roman Korolik Group, Chromatic Banana, .Scora , and his own trio called DS3.
So, let us begin with this first question:
1) What is music for you?
Music is a state of consciousness through which I feel united with the sounds, articulations, the many varieties of expression being generated by my fingers playing the instrument, and my entire Being. It is the reflection of the beauty of the Eternal Present, no matter what goes on around you in life. It takes you up to a point of awareness that cannot be explained by mere words. It is truly something magical to me.
2) What inspires you?
I get very inspired by nature, by reading philosophical books, by listening to different types of good music, and by sharing experiences with other people. In fact the entire unfolding of life itself is a genuine source of inspiration for me as a jazz composer and pianist.
3) When you are in the process of creating, playing your music, where does it take you? I mean where does your mind travel?
I am in a state of mind that I would like to call The Source of Creation. It is a very open and clear space and its fountain of music can be tapped at any time. It is a relaing state of mind where my fingers seem to move across the piano keyboard by themselves. I do not seem to be involved so much. It is akind of alertness second to none.
4) Do you think music, visual art and health are related and if so, please elaborate?
Absolutely. As a composer and pianist, I worked together with Marta Bressi, a fantastic visual artist from Argentina, and together we created Minds of Glass, a 43 minute experimental video art project containing 11 sequences of sound and visual composition. You can check some samples at www.dirkschreurs.com/art. If you can balance sound and vision in a conscious way, I am convinced that may people would benefit from its consequences. Sound and vision – when combined with precision and integrity – do have healing capacities, in my opinion.
5) How do you feel when you are playing your music?
It depends mainly on the mood of the piece. To me it is a true challenge to explore the whole spectrum of dynamics and tempos when I improvise. Sometimes I feel very energetic and alert, sometimes I feel very relaxed and at ease with myself.
6) Do you identify with your music and on what level?
I am my music whenever I perform. There is no gap whatsoever between myself and the sounds coming from the piano. It is definitely a unifying experience. I let go of everything I know and music flows effortlessly.
7) When do you do your best work?
My peak performances show up during evening concerts between 9 and 11 p.m. I can imagine that this is quite different for other artists.
My best recording sessions and performances came along when I was focused on the process of creating, NOT on the result. I had the feeling that there was nothing than the act of letting the music materialize by itself through me. Moreover, the best compositional ideas come by themselves not by straining or putting any “mental force” to them. I experience that whenever the minds subsides, the spirit of creativity flows.
8) Does your music help you connect and stay connected to your higher self?
Music is like a gate through which your attention can move into the direction of a so-called Higher Self. It can generate a very centered feeling that does not need anything external. It is like being it its purest state. There are of course levels of intensity as far as the experience itself is concerned.
“Minds of Glass” will be presented at the New York Independent International Film Festival at City Cinemas Village East
October 21st to October 29th – 181 – 2nd Avenue at 12th St. New York City.
Dirk, thank you so much for sharing with me and with my readers. It has been most enlightening and so appreciated. Thank you also for the beauty you bring to this world that is in such need of it. From the heart, live long and prosper!
You are invited to visit Dirk’s links below.
www.dirkschreurs.com
www.mindsofglass.webs.com
www.myspace.com/rkgpage
Mail this post
Comments
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed and related to your interview. For me I found particular meaning in your answer to #7 regarding the process of creating. You defined perfectly the process of true creativity. Thank you for sharing your insights and knowledge and that amazing video! Cecelia
.-= Cecelia Gay´s last blog ..Uh Oh!! =-.
Thank you for this most interesting website. I am only a singer but the answer to question 6 is certainly what I go through when performing. Getting inside a song is an incredible place to be, even if it’s only interpretation.
As a pianist, a former journalist, an art lover and a Michèle-Andrée the-jazz-musician-painter admirer, I finally fully enjoyed “the” website. What I read, in that particular kind of interview, what I see and what I hear, makes me want to come back to see more, to hear more and to read more.
Félicitations!
WOW !!! Great stuff Michele !!! Look forward to the next batch of artists !!!
Hey M-A & C,
As you know, I love the site, the art and the music. The article/interview was a welcome addition.
I hear an artists music differently when I have been inside his/her head. It puts the music into finer focus.
Thanks for sharing it with us. I hope to see more of the same.
PS – The same can be said for the visual arts as well 😉
Dave
I totally agree with Dave.
Dirk, thank you for your generosity. Your music is an inspiration that will last always. Good luck with Minds of Glass presentation also.
Be blessed.
.-= Michele Andree Lemieux´s last blog ..HEALTH AND WELLNESS TOPIC =-.
Leave a Comment