With boundless energy, incredibly gentle – or loud

In short, music is what I need to feel good. But I actually started with drums. At the age of 15, I supported a band as a roadie, helping with stage setup before concerts, carrying amplifiers, basically being an all-around band support. In return, I received drum lessons from the drummer. It's important to note that learning to read music was absolutely unthinkable for me as a teenager. Drumming seemed like a natural fit: no notes, just rhythm flowing from within. I didn't have to study much; I just immersed myself in playing. I played for 10 years, including in various bands.

When I started my evening studies while working full-time, unfortunately, making music became less feasible. Although I still shared a rehearsal space with a DJ and a fellow musician, it wasn't the same anymore. After completing my studies, playing the drums became overwhelming. Firstly, it requires aspecial space. Initially, I still had a drum kit at home... but the neighbors weren't too thrilled about it. And secondly, the drums are a loud instrument and, let's be honest, somewhat cumbersome. That's why I was one of the first within my friends to try an electronic drum kit: The sound is picked up by a sensor on the instrument, transmitted through a sound processor to the headphones, and accordingly only makes ”noise” in the headphones. But back then, it wasn't as advanced as it is today. They were basically better rubber mats on wooden boards with a sensor for sound transmission, which of course never provided the same feeling as a traditional drum kit.

Yes, absolutely! Music is one of the three fundamental pillars, as I call them. I have my family and my work. But music is equally important: I need it to feel good. Technological advancements have really helped me here: There are really good electronic drums available today! In terms of sound, you can't even tell the difference anymore – and you can even play them at home in the living room! That makes me very happy!

I can try to put it into words (laughs). Music, in a certain way, leads me back to myself. That might sound a bit dramatic, but those who make music themselves or enjoy listening to it know what I mean. For me, it's pure positive energy; it recharges me and gives me strength. Music is something you invest energy into, and you get back multiples of what you put in.

Actually, I sang in a choir for a long time as a child, and I absolutely loved it. But when I was young, I lacked the confidence to stand as a lead singer in front of a band. I can honestly say that now. Singing isn't just about technique; it requires collaboration with the band and performance on stage. You have to imagine it like this: as the lead singer, you're literally in the lead. You're upfront, you're the one everyone sees - as a teenager, I wasn't ready for that, which is why I started with drums.

But back to singing: In my mid-twenties, I felt ready and began taking singing lessons. This was shortly after completing my studies and around the time I realized that drumming was no longer feasible for me. When I started my first singing lesson, I had a clear vision in mind: I wanted to become the lead singer of a band. While I was familiar with singing, choir and lead vocals are different. It's a different energy, a different level, no holding back. Therefore, it was important for me to take the time to train my voice first. After all, vocal cords are muscles. Muscles that need to be carefully trained and shaped, like those of an athlete. Especially very high notes require extremely high body tension, that you have to train! Maintaining this tension constantly is a challenge! Besides, I wanted to become a metal singer. Absolutely.

Short answer: There's nothing held back about it. Some claim it's just screaming. But it's not that simple. Take Brian Johnson from ACDC, for example; he sings with a very rough voice, which I sometimes call ”the saw”. But you need the right technique to not damage your vocal cords, while singing like that. When I started singing lessons, I didn't know any of this, of course. Now I can play with this effect, also called ”distortion”: I can incorporate it more or less. That's why today I can sing both clear and ”brutal”.

Fundamentally, both require good body tension, not just good vocal cords: The best way I can describe it is that you build a kind of column of sound within yourself. When you start with singing, you usually push out – and you don't build this column of sound in the body. But actually, you're supposed to suck the sound into yourself. It may sound strange, but an incredibly powerful sound comes out from the front, even though you're actually sucking the sound into yourself... It took me 11 years of singing lessons to understand what that meant (laughs). And I'd like to add that while technique is one thing, a two-hour live performance is a whole different ball game!

Singing specifically has made me confident. It gave me a new access to myself. When I realized what I am capable of and how unique it is - that's when the confidence kicked in!

No. And to be honest, nobody understands that. I actually tried out two bands again. However, I had to realize that it's not enough for me anymore just to sing in a band: I am a personality and have clear ideas about which songs I want to perform and how. That's why I am currently not part of a band anymore. I continue to sing for myself, but that's not the same. There's a completely different energy during rehearsals and especially at live concerts: the audience in front of you and the band behind you inspire you in a very specific way. Plus, it's a different level to sing for two and a half hours straight. Right now, I'm focusing on training my technique. I'm disciplined about that because I know if I keep that up, I'll be quickly ready again to sing in a band and perform live.

The word that first comes to mind is passion. Music carries pure, positive energy. It fulfills and carries you. Music can uplift you. That's why it was so important for me to share my passion with my daughters. Both of them have had piano and singing lessons. From a technical point of view, they're very good, but so far, they haven't developed the same enthusiasm for it. Maybe it will come later? Actually, they want to take their old piano in their new shared apartment... I'm curious to see what happens next (laughs)!