The production of Ties Mellema's new CD 'Grab it' has begun. The sound of the saxophone has been mixed. The approach is a combination between a classical and pop recording style

On January 23rd Mellema gave his first concert in which he himself integrated live electronics in his playing with Eduardo Marturet's Canto Llano. Since 2004 he has formed a duo with electonic musician Ivo Bol. Who has created several pieces for them.

Programs 2006-2007 are online now: check out www.amsterdammm.nl.

Saturday, January 21, 2006 I can't believe it

Saturday, January 21, 2006

I can't believe it. The secretary of immigration (Verdonk) wants a behavioural code in the Netherlands that states a.o. that you should talk Dutch on the streets. Unbelievable....!
I am looking for a digital delay for a solo concert this monday. I might have found one. It's a great Venezuelan piece. This Monday in Zaal 100, Amsterdam Wittenkade. I will play ter Veldhuis, maybe Berio and the delay piece!

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Tomorrow me and my 4tet are off to Luxemburg for a concert. We'll play Glazounow, Glass and Sweelinck. It's really great we're playing Glazounow again, I've had a bit too much contemporary music, and Glazounow is original music lyrical music for saxophone, and it's good stuff! It's great music. We've had a discussion whether this music is more 'sticky' or more 'fresh'. Although this quartet is Russian I feel it's not heavy and dramatic pur sang. The first phrase is very fresh, it opens the sky for the pastorale melody, at leat I feel it like this... Well, check out our concerts and judge yourself :-)

Sunday, January 08, 2006

It's Sunday today and I just got up. The holidays are over. My quartet (www.amstel4tet.nl) is rehearsing again. We're doing this very hard programma with works by Andriessen, Germanus, de Man and Keuris. And we're studying our asses off! Facing Death is a great piece but a reall piece de resistance.
I bought a piano last month, not a real one though, a Clavinova and I am actually studying a bit on it. Great stuff! The feel of a real piano is better but this is good enough for me. It's up in the attic where the wheather cannot be trusted and this one I don't have to tune.
Also I am studying Mendelsshon cello sonata with Wijnand. I am even thinking about making a short CD with one or two pieces: the cello sonata and maybe a contemporary comment on it... I have to think about it...

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Best wishes everyone!
I got some mails from people who missed me in the second half of December on my blog. I am sorry for that...
I will try to post more regularly now.
What happened that is noteworthy. I joined in for a Magpie Music Dance Company Workshop and hhad great fun. I did it together with Ailed. he workshop was about improvising (or rather instant composing) for dancers and musicians. I learned a lot and want to learn more about this.
Other than that I am studying for quartet gigs, we have some importnt and very hard stuff coming up, oa Andriessen, de Man and Germanus quartet for the Nederlandse Muziekdagen on Feb 12 in Vredenburg. A great oppurtunity but lots of work.