(Rec. 22nd Nov 2023)
The trajectory of Bastian Voelkel’s career could have easily resembled that of another small-town music aspirant in Germany resting on the wreaths of a secure pensioned job as a teacher at the local music school as his earliest environment might have potentially suggested as the most suitable. The 18-year-old keyboardist however, decided to head synth-in-hand to audition for Europe's most elite university for pop musicians, taking the usual rejections from mainstream German jazz education gracefully in stride. And nailed the audition.
What followed over the years amidst the overwhelming and once-controversial but always innovative Pop-Akademie BW music-business vs music education conundrums and experiments in ‘Ausland-Semesters’ in the Netherlands, was the chance meeting with now long-time band-mate Alice Merton and a tireless and curious work-ethic that led to a Grammy nomination and a few 100 (and counting) shows around the world, earning him the reputation of one of the hardest-working keyboardists in Germany.
I catch up with fellow Nord-artist and fellow Pop-Akademie BW alumni to discuss the importance of understanding space in live music performance, the trials and tribulations of touring internationally as a keyboardist, and the significance of authenticity and loyalty as a musician in this day and age.
This episode is brought to you by:
www.holisticpianoacademy.com
(Now part of www.holisticmusicianacademy.com)
Listen to T.L.'s new album HERE
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Recorded on a Zoom Podtrak P4 kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu
Connect with Bastian:
Common Threads between Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Sheila E, The Crusaders and Enjoying Fresh Strawberries with Benny Rietveld
Damascus to Berlin, Surviving War as an Artist, and Effortlessness in Everyday Art with Ali Moraly
Understanding Aspergers Syndrome, Transforming Piano Abuse to Healing and Healthy Productivity Hacks with Amirah
Berlin to LA, Spiritual vs Musical Practices and Staying Curious with Robert Koch
Healing with Music, the Role of a Mentor and the Future of Online Education with Claus Hessler
Well-being for Artists and Making Music with Chocolate with Vivienne Aerts
Pop Stardom, Bombay, Berklee, and 20 Years In Music Business with Vasuda Sharma
Spearheading Nepal's Jazz-Scene, Imposter Syndrome and Balancing European and South-Asian Work Ethics with Abhisek Bhadra
Frankfurt, Boston, Classical vs Jazz and Understanding Communication Skills with Benno Sattler
Calcutta Bags, Bombay Journey and Hanging Up Boxing Gloves with Isheeta Chakrvarty
Self-Worth and the Musicians Mindset with Lefteris Moumtzis
F for 'Fusion', Growing Up In the Gharana, and a Brief History of Indian Classical Music with Pratik Shrivastava
TCK Dichotomies, Klugscheissing and the Future of Green Entrepreneurship with Daniel Hires
Building the Legacy of Contemporary European Percussion and Integrating Institutionalised Education In The Real World with Stephan Maass
Being 'The Voice Of Manipur' With Akhu Chingangbam
The Anatomy Of A Career As A Music-Producer in 2021 With Lorenz Schimpf aka LO
Uniting the Warrior And The Monk With Cameron Shayne
Kai Eckhardt (Pt.2) : 'Demons, Angels and Booty shaking in 9/8
Multiple Lifetimes In One With Kai Eckhardt (Pt 1)
Navigating the Producer/Musician Journey Between US and Europe for 20 plus Years with Matthew Brown
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