Welcome to my life my dear friend by visiting me at my website pats-music.com

Introduction

I was born in the early sixties in the Netherlands, intended for being a musician for life, developping as a musical autodidact and multi-instrumentalist, since I've never had any lessons to any of the instruments I play, as music has always been my main vocation and absolute oxygen. My vocals has been my first instrument of all.
Main instrument: Guitar
My band: MOOR

Just call me "Pats".

Younger days

I’ve been raised and grown up in a Dutch community in former Western Germany, which has been interrupted for a little couple of years of living in the Netherlands. Therefore my school education has been Dutch, as German as well. My parents are from Indonesia, both rooted from the Molucca Islands, Maluku. During the fifties in the last century they have come all the way from Indonesia to the Netherlands, as many of their companians. As soon as I was born my parents went for building up a life on an international level, setting off for Germany. At that time, the Dutch, English and American communities were living side by side in a German society and were very much involved into eachother. Later on, my parents got themselves settled in the Walloon provinces of Belgium for a while amongst all different European nationalities. It all has had a major contribution to my education. And of course! Music has been in my life, since the day I was born, …and even before.

Influence & musical expression

Since my heritage is from the Moluccas, I have been absolutely influenced by this culture, which has very distinctive traditions from western cultures, as well in perception, as in music. Values and living conditions as unity, togetherness, family ties, brotherhood, pride, dignity, harmony, love, respect, religion, superstition and musical expression are the basics of this culture, my upbringing, my life and my musical expression, which still finds the natural reflection in my music and my way of life.
Since the day I was born, of all musical cultures of Indonesia, consisting of all unique islands, having all different cultures, the Moluccan music (lagu-lagu) in particular has been the biggest influence to my soul and my musical expression, which I will cherish all my life and certainly will pass on, as it always has been for centuries and always will remain in the vains of Moluccans forever.
The strength of the blood shows his power in one respect: Love!
For my roots is my ultimate inspiration to my soul, my heart will always be the messenger.
Music is my language.

Our home

Since the day I was born there isn’t a single moment I can remember that there was no music being played at our home. My mother used to sing me Indonesian/Moluccan songs and furthermore: gospel, rock & roll, country and evergreens, until I started to join my mother with the singing myself. As soon as my brother Gilbert was born, he experienced the same musical spirit. The whole family used to sing harmony with each other every moment of the day we were together. The singing has always been the main part of my life. Ever since I can walk, I have been playing records of the record collection of my parents, which had given me an absolute fascination, until I created my own collection at the age of 12. My home was all music. Actually, all of my family were musically involved with each other. Wherever we went, my family and I brought music into peoples home, which got everybody infected to join the singing and to play music. Therefore, Musical expression is very homey to me, as it is in most Indonesian/Moluccan homes.

First steps

When I was 8 years old, I started to join the gospel choir in church, which got me to my first steps on stage actually. At the same period I started playing the guitar, as piano, bass, and drums as well, to accompany the singing. I developed my musical skills as an autodidact on every instrument my hands could grab, just by listening carefully and practicing passionately, which has led to my very first own home-recording, playing all instruments, and singing the song my dear mother had taught me, which we did sing harmony very often, called: “You are my sunshine”. It was real fun, taping my first demo at the age of 9 all by myself, playing all instruments myself, which got me hooked on recording more and more. From all early demo files this is the only one of my very first recordings that didn’t get lost. As a matter of fact, I re-recorded this song, plus a piece of music of "The Tielman Brothers", called “Guitar-Boogie”, when I was 12 years old. These three home-recordings from early seventies are actually my real first tapes, which has been kept very safely in my music demo-archives through out the years of many diverse experiences.

First inspiration

My very first major inspiration was: "The Tielman Brothers", especially referring to their musical piece of art: “Guitar-Boogie”, and their heroic stage performances, full of dynamic and a undefined boost of energy, who were rooted from Indonesia, as many other Jazz and Rock & Roll musicians during the fifties in last century in the Netherlands. It was very obvious that the music circuit was to be enriched by this new community.
They were the first guitar-hero’s and stage acrobats in Europe, who have had, with no nonsense, the most revolutionary stage performance ever at that time. Because of their heritage from Indonesia, these bands were titled as “Indo Rock”. Before that, there was no rock & roll being played on the European continent.
It is so unfortunate that this part of history remains to be unknown to the world. Nowadays, the soul power of Indonesian/Moluccan musicians in the Netherlands still are a big influence and inspiration to the Dutch music industry and across Dutch borders, as it has never been away. My deepest respect to "Andy Tielman", who has never given up his passion to his music and his dedication to his audience.

Further inspirations

And further on, my ultimate inspiration and master of all time of Rock’n Roll: Chuck Berry.
Followed up by: Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jim Reeves, Tom Jones, Fats Domino,
Bo Diddly, Little Richard, BB King, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Les Paul, Chat Atkins,
Ray Charles,The platters, The Monkees, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys.
All of these influences were absolutely reflecting my soul and my musical side of view.

First solo & stage performance steps

At the age of 12, I joint a school talent scouting where I had my first solo-performance on stage in front of a fully crowded audience, playing the piano, instead of playing the guitar, and singing my home-song “You are my sunshine” into a swinging piece of boogie-woogie, which has led me to the first prize of the contest.
These first solo-performing steps on stage just felt as natural, like as I’ve been doing this since the day I was born. From that moment on, I fell in love with the stage and the audience instantly, realizing that this never would be over, as music is my absolute oxygen. I immediately started to write my own songs, visualizing my dearest wish to have my own band lined up and get on stage as soon as possible.
I actually started writing and performing my own songs with my first band at the age of 12.
Up till now and each new day I cherish each of my songs and compositions as my main contribution to the diary of my soul.

First rehearsals

Of course my dearest brother “Gilbert” was my very first bass player with whom I started my first rehearsals of my repertoire. Unfortunately, it didn’t last for ever, because of the differences of interests, as it is kids a like. Anyway, “thanks, my dear bro, for helping me starting up and supporting me all the way”. Nevertheless, the years after we have had our moments of musical stage performance together anyway.
My brother Gilbert was an excellent rapper at that time...And hell, he could dance! Groovy times!

Teaching skills

Because of the fact that there were not a lot of musicians of my age at that time, I started to teach some school buddies to play the guitar, as also bass and drums as well, to have them ready to perform and probably joining my band. My first band was called “Hot Stuff”. Meanwhile, my teaching skills kept on developing, just by enthusiasm and passion, every time I had to re-line up the band, which has been a stimulating process, having me to obtain lots of studious guitar pupils.
My best and most devoted pupil at that time was my school buddy Jaap Roggeveen who’d given a lot of effort playing the bass guitar and backing me up with his vocals. We were just aged 15 and we already had a daily rehearsal discipline, right after school. It didn’t take much long before we started gigging around in the area of our home base in northern Germany.
Later on I have been encouraging him to practice the guitar. Nowadays he’s got himself into the music industry as a pro, for which I’m very proud of to have had my contributions to his musical career.
Since then I’ve been teaching and coaching lots of talented musicians of all kind,
supporting the growth of ones talent to have the skills being touched by their own soul.

First bands

I started my first band, together with my schoolbuddy (and rythm-guitarist) Henrie Mouwen, back in the mid seventies in the Netherlands, mainly playing at schoolfestivals. Music styles as blues, blues-rock, rock&roll were major influences to my songs at that time.
My next bands in the late seventies, which I did continue in Germany, were called: FPR Difference, The Opposite, and Speed.
We were only 12 up to 16 years old, full of musical energy and passion to music, and above all: playing music.
At that time I had an absolute preference for a more kind of baritone tone and harmony in the guitars, for which I used to drop down the tuning of the guitarstrings from a regular lower E to a lower C. The chords did have a full range of harmony that way, as it also did give a full tone to a single string, according to playing guitarsolo's. I have always loved a massiv sounding guitar, as I still and always will do.

Expanding inspirations

Meanwhile, during my teenage years, my source of inspiration was very much expanded from Chuck Berry to Deep Purple, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Ten Years After, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Status Quo, The Sex Pistols, The Sweet, Santana,The Commodores, Earth Wind & Fire, James Brown, The Osmonds, Mother’s Finest, Prince, Chick Corea, Larry Carlton, Alphonse Mouson, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Chuck Mangione, Brecker Brothers, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Roy Buchanan,
... Just to name a view.

First principles

I really got hooked on a wide range of music styles, especially when it all got fused.
The big influence it has had to me was having me the awareness of the art of playing music (which was subconscious all the time), meaning, The importance is: to be in harmony with yourself and your environment, to keep your soul and character alive, and to feel the ultimate freedom of expression to take the music to higher spirits, without losing your focus, but nevertheless still keep staying in harmonic touch with your musical environment under all kind of musical circumstances, in order to feel the spirit to offer the ultimate performance, like breathing passionately: In and Out.
To me, it felt like the first principles of playing music which has got me the desire
to carry out the basics of music, without any commitment, as it is my mission of life.
Having the touch of it, you can play all day long, without getting bored or even your audience getting bored, as long as you keep searching the depth of your soul.

Valuable experience

In 1980 I joined the German Fusion band “Fragment”, which was a very valuable experience to me, in particular because of the fact that it was the first time having me shown within another musical discipline, other than I used to lead as a composer, musical director and front performer, or leader of the band as well. We were very much gigging around at the big festivals in northern Germany, gaining lots of succes.
In particular the two brothers Adam and Michael Rejmanowski, who were playing the bass and saxophone, and a lot of other instruments as well, were very much attracting my attention. It was absolutely refreshing to meet these two musical guys. As we were at the same high school, we played every day all day long in the recording studio of the school, were we had the opportunity to play all kind of instruments, since it had a full equipment to line up a complete orchestra or band as well.
During the long hot summer of 1980, the three of us were very determined to spend musical time with each other as much as possible, performing as street musicians, wherever we like to, starting in Hamburg, and further on up to the beach in the north. It’s amazing how much money you can make this way, without having any commitments to any kind of discipline. We were almost making a daily job out of it, playing all kind of songs and having fun. And it even didn’t take us that much time to collect enough money to have us dining in a fine restaurant and afterwards partying all night long at the beach.
We definitely had a great time!

Conservatory

Shortly after graduating high school, at the age of 18, I was heading for a new musical direction in my life.
Since I am autodidactic, I’ve never had any lessons to any of the instruments I play.
From that moment on I had firmly resolved to sign up for the auditions of the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands, where I have studied for 3 beautiful years, revealing myself as a jazz musician, playing the jazz guitar, as my main instrument.
I did some workshops with Jazz masters like Jim Hall and Lee Konitz, and furthermore, supporting auditions, giving teaching assistance and coaching lots of ensemble groups. It was real fun to do.
As a matter of fact, the Rotterdam Conservatory happened to be the first leading academy of music, as well in the Netherlands as all over Europe at that time, which has had developed a new study programme by offering the optimal possibility to have a proportional focus on jazz, fusion (JazzRock, JazzFunk, or whatever) and Latin/salsa music, as equal to the former regular academy of classical music.
This conservatory was all dominated by Jazz, by creating your own freedom.
This new course was definitely attracting a lot of rock-, pop- and jazz musicians, coming all over Europe. Most of them were aktive as a pro in the music industry and some were on their way to get professional. There even was a modern and classical dance course which also has had my impulsive contribution once. This new spirit was totally refreshing to all musicians and dancers, having all jazz and classical performing arts gathered in one building, sharing one vibe under the same roof. You could feel the energy.
And I really don’t want to exaggerate, but at that time this energy was very much comparable to what is shown in the famous soundtrack-movie picture “Fame” (1980). Full dynamics and lots of energy boosts. The only difference: We didn't act!

Practical development

During my study, I’ve played in a lot of bands within a wide range of music styles, doing lots of gigs at any place you can imagine as much as possible, and further on having my contributions as a session-/studio musician, and teaching at a school of music in the same period. I was like having an overdose of adrenalin, which got me extremely inexhaustible. One of my favourite bands during that time was the extraordinary virtuoso line-up, named “The Wood band”, which I had put together with three other extremely talented students of the conservatory, including my relative, who was a brilliant bass player. We were very much into JazzFunk, without having any intention to hit the charts. Our line up: Frans van der Hoeven - Bass, John Roosendaal - guitar, Lefke Groise – drums ,…and me of course, doing guitar/vocals.
Unfortunately, I had to break up conservatory and the band as well, because of the fast developing success of my musical activities and the extreme growth of my stuffed agenda schedule, which didn’t get me any time left to continue my study. But, as performing is my one and only musical vocation, I really don’t have any regrets of my decision at all! As a matter of fact: Every theoretical day is a lost of practical experience. The Rotterdam conservatory has given me full 100 percent their support to have me totally focussed on a professional career. I instantly had my priorities on being full-time in the music industry, which got me started to work for Peavey, who just had developed a new remarkable program to their guitars and amps, and so on. During the eighties I've played a lot of Peavey stuff. And even the strings were amazingly good. Considering the fact that the guitars of this brand were very underestimated for a long time, they really did a surprisingly good job with the new ones during the eighties, although the amps have always been absolutely indisputable. I experience Peavey as a valuable contribution to my musical career.

And next..

The years thereafter, I have been playing in a lot of bands, supporting lots of international bandprojects and artists, and having my own band as being a singer-songwriter myself as well, doing life performances all over the world, doing festivals, radio and tv, contributing to albumproductions and all kind of studioproductions such as commercial-jingles and single-productions, and still being active as a singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, vocalist, sessionmusician, composer, arranger, producer, music coach, music teacher, musical director, and off course always being a performer/entertainer as the stage is my absolute ultimate spot to get in touch with my innersoul.

My philosophy

It’s all about the powers of observation that makes me move, having me the ultimate desire to listen, to die of curiosity of the unexpected, to dream and to wish, and to fulfil at the same time, to have a unique experience and to taste the adventure, to touch and to feel, to create and to build, to anticipate and to express, and last but not least: to be ultimately part of nature, creating a new impulse of the heart.
Every single second of life has its very own music. Therefore life itself is my teacher.
It’s simply my way to rock the jazz out of it: Love to live, and live to love!
The only qualification to experience the university of life is to open up your heart and never be afraid to show your soulpower in order to create your own challenges as every succes and fulfilness lies in your own hands.
Lovepower it is!
Just go for it...share, enjoy and cherish!

Awareness

In spite of all, to me it’s very easy to find my soul and get in touch with it, to create music coming from the heart, finding the beauty of nature and the power of universe, which marks the contours of my soul, all reflecting the inner soul that has been touched by the impulse of God, meaning God is all, and just be music, …….. since it always has been my oxygen. …and even before.

I just keep breathing…..In and out…the pure melody of life.

My device
“Supporting the growth of ones talent makes the world shine more!”