I am leaving the Amstel Quartet

Dear Amstel Quartet fans,

I have some sad news to share with you:

I am leaving the Amstel Quartet.

As most of you will know, I have gone through a very difficult period. I was seriously ill and I am still recovering from a very heavy chemotherapy. 

During the past year I have doubted pretty much everything. I am a searcher and a doubter, always trying to change things for the better in my life. Last year I wasn’t even sure if I could continue playing the saxophone. 

In the last couple of months I slowly entered working life again, which hasn't always been easy. Despite the fact that this period was very tough on me, my family and my colleagues, it has had some good effects as well. I have come to realise that my focus should be on the things that are most important to me. In the first place, these are my family, my girlfriend and my kids.

But this shift also applies to the artistic field. The Amstel Quartet has been a pillar in my life for twenty years. Whatever I did, there was always the quartet to put my feet back on the ground. Our group has always tried to attain the highest level of musical quality, constantly discussing interpretation and repertoire. At the same time, we have shared many personal things. In that sense, you could say it was like being in a marriage. 

Now I am forty years old. Not old, but not young either. I foresee that I will have the energy to go on whatever road I need and want to take. In order to be able to think about my life and music, however, I need more space, in my head and in my agenda. 

I am currently discovering new music, playing with other cats and I am trying not to wear myself out in the process.

There is still a lot of repertoire to be discovered, so many stages to conquer, but I have chosen not to do this with the Amstel Quartet. I need to take it easier and focus on my own music. Whatever it will turn out to be. 

Harry Cherrin will be taking my place as of January 2017. On December 2nd, The Amsterdam Concertgebouw will host my last concert with the Amstel Quartet, the group of friends that I co-founded twenty years ago. We toured the world and shared everything. 

Now, time has come for me to move on to unknown territories. Thanks a lot for supporting us, coming to our concerts and listening to our CDs.

I am confident that the Amstel Quartet will remain successful and that they will reach a new level of musicianship with Harry.

I had a blast.

Ties

Bach and Coltrane: a clash of conditions

Since my chemo I have been listening to a lot of music again. I hadn't listened to music intensively for a couple of years. During the chemo I (re-)discovered the music of Coltrane, also as a player, Jürg Frey, Charlie Haden/Hank Jones, Philip Glass, Paul Simon, John Dowland and as always Johann Sebastian Bach. 

I am going through a strange time. Still. My body is slowly recuperating. And my mind seems to be tired quicker, but also more focused. Things seem to be more clear. 

The last two months I have read about and listened to a lot of Coltrane. I tend to get obsessed sometimes. This obsession can be anything, 'Breaking Bad', current events or an artist. In this case It was John Coltrane. 

Coltrane has had several periods. And I seem to be most interested in the period after 'Giant Steps', first to modal-like music, then more free, even going to the most avant-garde free-jazz. I even play ‘Trane’’s ‘Transition’ with my buddy Rembrandt Frerichs. This is also the period that I am most attracted to as a listener. I listened to his music for a couple of weeks straight. I couldn’t listen to other music. Every other jazz player seemed to be self-indulging compared to Coltrane.

I haven’t written a blog in some time now. No inspiration. But today I turned on Spotify and decided to go for Bach’s Sonatas for Viola da Gamba by Patxi Montero and Daniele Boccaccio. I didn’t know these artists. Montero’s styles is without compromise. No vibrato whatsoever. But the music hit me. The music of Coltrane is genius. But it made me unrestful lately. I kept listening to Coltrane, but it didn’t reach me as much as before. Bach did. After a couple of notes I noticed that I calmed down and that I could listen to the music without pushing myself to do so.

I have always had a relation with Bach. Even after my chemo I keep coming back to his music periodically. His music seems to be a sort of bench mark. All other music comes from his music. Like Coltrane, Bach seemed to in direct contact with some kind of higher force that put the music in his fingers. I am an atheist, but this notion is a really nice metaphor.

Although I am a classically trained musician, labels seem to have less and less meaning to me. I have always listened to a lot of jazz music. But in an early stage I decided to specialize in the classical idiom. In the final stage of my studies I decided to study with cellist Anner Bylsma. He set me free as a player. He showed my that music could also speak, instead of only sing. He wanted me to play with a broken reed to focus less on sound and more on pronunciation. As a saxophonist there is a danger that we focus so much on sound and playing ‘lines’, in stead of delivering the message.

To play Bach on saxophone is one of the most dangerous things you can do. There’s so much critique to be given. A couple of years ago the organizers of a saxophone festival at my school in Tilburg even decided to not put my rendition of the first Cello Suite by Bach on a collection album of the festival. The recording did not meet their expectations. Listening back to it I do understand what they mean. Some things go wrong, and the acoustics do not help at all. But it was how I played it. Focussing on agogic and pronunciation. Listening back to the whole CD, I realized that the reason for putting the other performances (which also have a definite live feeling to them as well) on it, is that the music is so much less personal. In Bach we can all recognize something. It is music that goes ‘Straight to the Heart’. If things are not like we expect them, it hits us personally. Besides, the general consensus about playing Bach a wind instruments is to play ‘beautiful’, my performance was definitely not an esthetic one.

That is the same reason Branford Marsalis got so much critique when he played and recorded  ‘A Love Supreme’. Probably Coltrane’s most important album. A tribute to God and Love. Coltrane hit so many people with this album, and he still does. When Marsalis played this album it initially felt like blasphemy.

In my most recent project with Rembrandt Frerichs I decided to combine those two artists in one program and go beyond all (self-imposed?) taboos.

Een geweldig benefiet concert in het Muziekgebouw!

trailer: http://youtu.be/4ouW39G02b8

Ties Mellema uitgedaagd door ziekte van Hodgkin

Benefietconcert in Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ met Akwasi, Remy van Kesteren, Ernst Daniël Smid en vele anderen

21/9/2016 | In de zomer van 2015 werd bij saxofonist Ties Mellema de ziekte van Hodgkin geconstateerd, een zeldzame vorm van lymfeklierkanker. De periode die volgde stond in het teken van chemotherapie. Een zeer zware tijd die hem echter ook inzichten heeft gegeven die zijn leven ingrijpend hebben veranderd. Sinds het begin van dit jaar, nadat een CT-scan uitwees dat alles ‘schoon’ was, werkt Ties aan zijn herstel en comeback. Zondag 30 oktober 2016 organiseert hij Hard Reset, een benefietconcert in Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam. Een scala aan artiesten treedt op, waaronder rapper Akwasi, Remy van Kesteren, Rembrandt Frerichs en Ernst Daniël Smid. “Ik heb musici gevraagd die belangrijk voor me zijn geweest tijdens de ziekteperiode”, vertelt de saxofonist. “Het wordt een avond met perspectief, we kijken vooruit en richten ons op de toekomst. Ik wil muziek presenteren die past bij de nieuwe Ties Mellema.”

Tijdens de chemokuur is Ties door een hel gegaan maar hij is altijd blijven spelen. Zo’n acht uur per week. “Hierdoor voelde ik of ik motoriek verloor en kon zo nodig de dosering van medicijnen worden aangepast. Ik studeerde vooral het saxofoonconcert van Denisov, een moeilijk avantgardistisch stuk dat ik vijf weken na de chemo moest spelen in Amsterdam. Een Nederlandse première. Het werd één van de beste concerten uit m’n carrière. Hoe kon dat onder deze omstandigheden? Ik was verbaasd en heb er lang over nagedacht. Doordat ik vorig jaar tijdens de chemotherapie zo uitgeput was, had ik geen energie om me zorgen te maken over m’n carrière, over deadlines en over randzaken. Ik was relaxed en kon me optimaal focussen op het stuk van Denisov.

Bevrijd

“Veel vrienden hebben me er doorheen geholpen. Zo heeft Remy van Kesteren vaak met me gewandeld en af en toe een pannetje eten gebracht. Hij was er altijd voor me, terwijl hij op dat moment een plaat aan het opnemen was voor Deutsche Grammophon. Remy is een voorbeeld voor me. Hij heeft z’n hart gevolgd en is richting popmuziek gegaan. Ik vind het knap dat hij het durft.” Zelf kwam Ties er vorig jaar achter dat zijn passie vooral ligt bij minimal music, hedendaags klassieke muziek en jazz. Daar krijgt hij energie van. “Voorheen speelde ik ook bijvoorbeeld de tweede klarinetsonate van Brahms. Een mooi stuk en het zal heus nog wel eens langskomen, maar het kost me veel meer moeite, het is niet mijn muziek. Het geeft niet de energie die ik nodig heb. Dat is mijn graadmeter. Ook hoef ik niet meer te bewijzen dat de sax bestaansrecht heeft als klassiek instrument.”

Akwasi

Ties heeft de ziekteperiode nodig gehad om tot die inzichten te komen. “Het klinkt raar, maar eigenlijk heeft de kanker mij de kans gegeven om mezelf en mijn passies terug te vinden, nieuwe wegen in te slaan en andere mensen te leren kennen.” Voorheen liet hij zich veel meer leiden door wat hem overkwam, nu maakt hij bewuste keuzes. “Zo ben ik in gesprek met Akwasi over een mogelijke samenwerking. Zoiets zou vijf jaar geleden niet in mijn hoofd zijn opgekomen. We praten veel en inspireren elkaar. Ik ben gegrepen door zijn geweldige teksten en zou graag iets met hem samendoen.

Onderzoek

De opbrengst van het benefietconcert is bestemd voor Micro-RNA onderzoek van het VU medisch centrum. Ties Mellema: “Dankzij dit onderzoek kunnen Hodgkin-patiënten steeds beter chemotherapie op maat krijgen, waardoor de kans op genezing groter is en er minder schade wordt toegebracht aan het lichaam. Ik heb geluk gehad dat de chemotherapie aansloeg en ik gun dat ook alle andere patiënten. Daarom organiseer ik deze avond.” Josée Zijlstra, internist-hematoloog aan het VUmc, zal kort iets over het onderzoek vertellen.

Toekomst

Het komend seizoen staan er een Philip Glass-project met het Amstel Quartet, een theatertour met Ernst Daniël Smid en The Four Baritones en een tournee met Rembrandt Frerichs op het programma.

Hard Reset - De kracht van muziek  | Benefietconcert met Ties Mellema, Akwasi, Remy van Kesteren & band, The Four Baritones, Amstel Quartet, DJ Kypski, Rembrandt Frerichs, Ernst Daniël Smid en het Sax-ensemble van het Fontys Conservatorium. Regieadvies Jos van Kan.

 

Zo 30 oktober 2016 | 20.15 uur

Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Amsterdam

Tickets & Info www.muziekgebouw.nl

John Coltrane

Last Friday I went to Splendor Concerthall with somewhat mixed feelings. Last year I needed music that stimulated me to keep playing, because one of the medicine I took could harm my nerves and thus damage the motorics in my fingers. I found the music of John Coltrane. Back then I thought it was a good idea to try this out on a stage. And so we did, Rembrandt Frerichs, Vincent Planjer, Jos Machtel and me. Not only risking the harsh criticism of our own artistic hearts, but also that of colleagues and jazz lovers. Playing the notes of John Coltrane is not jazz... In the end we didn't and don't care. My mixed feelings were gone at the end of the concert. Everything came together. Music is music, and the music of John Coltrane is divine, magnificent.... And needs to be heard on a stage. We are the only ones who are doing this, and we will continue.

Listen here why:

https://soundcloud.com/info-1446/transition-ties-mellema-rembrandt-jos-machtel-vinsent

Quite proud of this.

https://www.facebook.com/tiesmellema/posts/10155193992789688

My lessons with Arno Bornkamp

I studied with Arno Bornkamp. To this day I think he is one of the best saxophonists out there. He is always spot on. So much drive and passion. He keeps going with more youthful enthusiasm than many 20 year olds. 

These are five things I learned from him:

1) Play sustained.

Arno most important lesson is to always connect the notes. To always let the air be the basis of your phrases and to not let the fingers determine the direction of the phrase. 

2) Always play a tune. 

Arno taught me always find a tune in everything I play. Even in the most avant-garde pieces. I always needed to play towards a certain note, even is there was no tonality to help me point out the obvious.

3) Play in tune.

Always take care of intonation. And correct with embouchure, but if it's too much, correct with fingering. There are saxophonists who are against this way of correcting and say you should correct only with embouchure. Arno taught me to use every means necessary to play in tune.

4) Eliminate technical problems.

To be truly free one should eliminate technical problems. Firstly by studying exudes and scales. The first year in the conservatoryI almost only studied technique to take away as many technical barriers as possible. The technique that is left one can solve by finding musical solutions to technical problems.

5) Colours

Arno taught me to look for colours, by using vibrato and changing the sound by using the cavities in the throat and chest. He also taught me that my basic saxophone sound is not that important. What is most important is what I do with it.

Intonation, how?

Dear saxophone lover,

I have been trying out some tenor saxes today. I was looking for a new one. I say 'was', because I concluded I gave priority to intonation over sound. I tried two mark VII's, an early Mark VI, my own Series II and a Reference.

The Mark VI was incredible. The intonation was absolutely perfect. I could hardly believe it. The octave between B and B with octave key was right in the middle. Perfect. And the sound was so warm, powerful and above all, flexible. I tried all of the saxes with a C* (classical music) and a Robusto by 10Mfan. The intonation reacted the same on the two mouthpieces, which I didn't expect. On the Robusto the sound was warm, soulful and flexible. On the C* the sound was slender, varied and dynamic.

The Mark VI is an early one, and has a mature price tag. But this horn is not for me. I cannot deal with perfect intonation. If the middle b is the standard, then the high one should be a bit too high so I can drop the intonation when I press the octave key. This way I can give more body to the high notes. This is not possible on this Mark VI. Because the high notes are perfect. Jazz players tune their saxes too high and always drop the intonation on all notes, on some notes a bit more than others.

The Mark VII were terrific as well. Also with a very soulful and warm sound. With a much bigger sonority than the VI. Especially for classical music this sonority works extremely well. This may be why so many classical saxophonists play VII's, like Arno Bornkamp (Aurelia Saxophone Quartet) and Bas Apswoude (Amstel Quartet). The VII can sing like no other. But the intonation on both VII was way out there. Between the middle B and B with octave key there was a difference of almost 25 cents, a quarter tone. The saxophone shop (Saxomania) told me that this typical for VII's. Probably students can study and learn how to play on a horn like this. But I have learned to play tenor on a Series II, with the ideal intonation. The difference between the two B's is a little less than10 cents. Enough to drop the intonation with octave key and give a bit more body to the sound. Especially when playing the C* the sound has something warm and deep. Although it definitely lacks 'soul', whatever it may mean.

Because jazz music speaks more an it sings, it's a bit more problematic. The Mark VI was the best for jazz music, because the sound is more slender and more sensitive to colour differences.

The Reference was nice. But it did not give me a 'click'. This sax lacked 'soul', the sound seemed superficial. It's hard to explain, but it just didn't challenge me...

In the end I chose my own sax from the five in total. Although three of the five sounded much better than the sax I play, I could not justify a change of sax because of the intonation. And thus also because of the effect of intonation on the sound.

My mind seems empty

While I am coming to 'normal' life I am encountering some issues that were normal before the chemo, but now are something I want to avoid:

-Cnstant nervousness and stress.

I am a person that always wants to do something. I always want to go into a certain way. But I now notice that the stress that comes with this is too uncomfortable. My priority should now be to get better and see how far I can get without the fatigue. The fatigue is a big thing in my life at the moment. And that's one way to turn around all of this: I now realize that I have boundaries and limited energy. I can use this to find the boundaries in my mind. What do I really want to do, where do I really want to go?

-Little room in my mind to fool around. 

I have noticed that when I am busy my mind clears itself. Which sometimes comes in handy, but it also stops being creative, it stops fooling around. It stops to dream. I don't want to run after things in my life anymore and feel I am behind I want to determine my own agenda and do my own things. Like write a few notes every day, make one photograph, make s short walk, write a short blog (you're reading it now!), etcetera.