Yesterday, I had the honor of spending a fantastic afternoon with the youth orchestra of Music Association Crescendo from Sliedrecht. Under the energetic and inspiring leadership of Paul Langerman, around 40 young musicians performed twelve short pieces from my books First Music Fun 1, 2 and 3. The goal of the day was to record promotional material – both video and audio – to help bring these three books to the attention of other youth orchestras, student ensembles, and beginner groups.

First Music Fun 1, 2 and 3 are educational music books, each containing 12 accessible and enjoyable pieces that gradually increase in difficulty. They are specially written for beginner musicians and are designed to introduce ensemble playing in a fun and approachable way. The music is arranged in three parts with optional percussion, making it flexible and suitable for all kinds of instrumental combinations. Additionally, every piece has strong educational value, covering a variety of time signatures, styles, articulations, dynamics, and rhythmic patterns.

The enthusiasm with which the students played was truly contagious. They worked with great focus, yet there was so much joy in the room. It was wonderful to see how these young musicians created such beautiful results together – all guided by a fantastic conductor.

The filming was professionally done by Ad Russ, audio recordings were made by Marc Busscher, and Peter Bongaerts captured the day in a beautiful photo series. I’m very much looking forward to the final result of all this work. The promotional film will be available in early September via this website and through Molenaar Edition, where the books can be ordered.