Meet Marijn Meijer | Violinist, Educator and Program Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marijn Meijer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marijn, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Youth Jazz International helps creating an atmosphere for young individuals to explore all the possibilities one has, when playing an instrument. During rehearsals and concerts, all the kids are given the chance to improvise, which might seem scary at first, but creates a lot of freedom and connection. Connection to each other, connection to the music. It’s challenging to handle a sense of freedom, when you are used to seeing all the notes on paper. How do you handle all the choices to make, what is the first step? The coaches at YJI guide the kids in taking those steps, and therefore teach them how to grow by themselves. We see all the kids taking great initiative in supporting each other, but also by taking lead in roles outside of the rehearsal space. Think about community outreach, promotion, social media, designing logo’s. Our organisation lets music connect people, and on top of that teaches kids all of the other things, which forms a nice and creative environment for everybody.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
First of all, I want to say that I feel fortunate to be able to pursue a career in music, because it is not easy. Artists need the support in order to believe that what we’re doing is right. In high school, my teachers wanted me to go to med school, when I told them I’d probably go to study at a Conservatory. That particular conversation with one of the mentors is something I still vividly remember, because it made me decide that I should not listen to him, but follow my instinct. I tell this story to students and parents all the time, because I know how hard it is to make a decision like that.
Being a musician requires versatility and flexibility in order to survive. Only a handful at the top can make it work with extreme focus on just one thing. Already since I was a teenager (in the Netherlands), I spent my time doing as many different things in music as I could. Playing cover bands, with shows in tents at festivals and fairs, touring with a rock-band and recording our own albums. That was all outside of school, where I pursued a degree in classical music performance. I wouldn’t say my focus was especially on those things outside of school, but they played an important part in my musical development. My musical ears were better than my classmates, I played multiple instruments, and I was also composing and arranging music for the band. All those things combined drew me into the field of jazz later, because to play jazz music, you need all of those skills. It’s about listening, flexibility and interaction.
So, after my undergrad there were multiple paths I could follow, but how do you choose? After choosing the safe route, continuing what I was doing in the classical studies, I realised that I needed more than that. I chose to move to the United States to ‘start over’, pursuing a masters in Jazz Performance, with the goal to grow and become even more versatile in music, but also increase the confidence that is needed to actually become a professional artist. 2,5 years have gone by in the United States now, and I am grateful for all the opportunities I have gotten because of that move. Moving away from home is a struggle, starting over is a struggle, but if you can stick with what you like, that will only give you more in life to be proud of. Projecting this on students and seeing how they start to believe the same, is a wonderful journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like to find great Mexican food around the area, but can also appreciate the excitement people get here about BBQ! The food culture is different everywhere, which is cool to see, as a foreigner in the States. The Bishop Arts District in Dallas would definitely be on the list, providing places to eat, shop and listen to live music. In Dallas, the Arboretum is a great place to spend the day in peace, and the Museum District is always interesting, with all the museums very close to each other.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to dedicate this shoutout to parents supporting their kids in pursuing music or arts, and give their time and freedom to make all the kids connect and feel free. For our organisation, the board is filled with enthusiastic parents who don’t want anything else than the best for all of the kids in the program. Cindy Lin Chew and Karla Scott, members of the board, have put a tremendous amount of effort into starting the program, and are always open and inviting to everybody.

Website: http://www.marijnmeijer.nl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrijnmeijah/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marijn-meijer-a9b9b392/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarijnMeijerViolin

Image Credits
Pia Triguni
Cindy Lin Chew
Marcel Peters