Thomas
Steckbrief
Name: Thomas
Age: 33 Jahre
Teaches you in: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Ukulele
Ausbildung: Bachelor in Popular Music an der HKDM Freiburg mit Hauptfach E-Gitarre
Plays the Ukulele since: 9 Jahren
Ukulele teacher since: 8 Jahren
Languages: Deutsch, Englisch
Styles: Acoustic Percussive Fingerstyle, Jazz, Pop
Influences: Andy Mckee, Dylan Ryche, John Mayer, The Boxer Rebellion, System of a Down, Isato Nakagawa
Interview
How did you get to your instruments?
Music really came into my life with the drums when I was 10 years old. After my music baccalaureate, however, I wanted a reset for various reasons, and from then on I became intensively involved with the guitar. While travelling, I discovered the ukulele.
What fascinates you about the guitar?
The ukulele is small and practical and can therefore be taken along on any journey.
What has helped you the most when practising?
The metronome is not your enemy. It may look like it at the beginning, but it's your friend!
What do you pay particular attention to when teaching?
It is important to me that the students are motivated by their own desire to play their instrument and music in general. Because then the learning process is fun and often happens on its own. For me, this is inextricably linked to one's own musical taste and individual goals on the instrument. But you don't usually know these at the beginning. I therefore motivate my students to explore new techniques, genres and artists in order to become aware of them. As a teacher, I can then provide targeted support and material.
What has been your greatest experience as a musician so far?
When I suddenly realised that I can stand by what I do as a musician. For a long time I was unsure whether I was good enough, whether people would accept me and my music, whether I could live from it. At some point, I had this feeling that I was on the right path. Since then, all the time I invest in the instrument has brought me even more fulfilment.
What equipment do you prefer to play on?
I have different guitars for different genres. With time, the demands on the respective instrument grow and the feeling of holding a piece of one's own musical development in one's hand is simply terrific.
What else is important in your life besides music?
It is important for me to find out who I am and what makes me, what my life is about. That is actually the most important thing to me and music helps me to do that.
Music really came into my life with the drums when I was 10 years old. After my music baccalaureate, however, I wanted a reset for various reasons, and from then on I became intensively involved with the guitar. While travelling, I discovered the ukulele.
What fascinates you about the guitar?
The ukulele is small and practical and can therefore be taken along on any journey.
What has helped you the most when practising?
The metronome is not your enemy. It may look like it at the beginning, but it's your friend!
What do you pay particular attention to when teaching?
It is important to me that the students are motivated by their own desire to play their instrument and music in general. Because then the learning process is fun and often happens on its own. For me, this is inextricably linked to one's own musical taste and individual goals on the instrument. But you don't usually know these at the beginning. I therefore motivate my students to explore new techniques, genres and artists in order to become aware of them. As a teacher, I can then provide targeted support and material.
What has been your greatest experience as a musician so far?
When I suddenly realised that I can stand by what I do as a musician. For a long time I was unsure whether I was good enough, whether people would accept me and my music, whether I could live from it. At some point, I had this feeling that I was on the right path. Since then, all the time I invest in the instrument has brought me even more fulfilment.
What equipment do you prefer to play on?
I have different guitars for different genres. With time, the demands on the respective instrument grow and the feeling of holding a piece of one's own musical development in one's hand is simply terrific.
What else is important in your life besides music?
It is important for me to find out who I am and what makes me, what my life is about. That is actually the most important thing to me and music helps me to do that.
Links/Videos
