Charley van Veldhoven interview on Nagamag

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Charley van Veldhoven:
A hybrid between impressionistic and romantic classical music and jazz. Influenced by artist such as Debussy, Hiromi, Chick Corea and Nina Simone.

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Charley van Veldhoven:
When I was around 6 years old I started playing the piano and I almost immediately started composing my own music. I absolutely loved improvising and doing my own thing! I used to enter competitions from the age of 8 till 14 and win several prizes! At the age of 20 I decided mechanical engineering was not quite what I wanted to do. I took two gab years and moved to London. I wrote my first album for solo piano here and started teaching at my own piano music school. Because this showed me I could live my life just doing music I got inspired to truly follow my dreams and become a composer for film and other media. I moved back to the Netherlands and started my course at Music and Technology at the HKU in the Netherlands because I love making music and I love technology! Now I have made music for several games under which the award winning game Reducept that helps people with chronic pain. I also write music for movies from LA/Netherlands and recently won the 100% her competition with Universal Production Music. Next to producing and composing for Media I still just love to improvise and do my own thing on the piano. I am super excited that the first track of my solo piano album is finally out! And there is much more of this coming this year!

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Charley van Veldhoven:
When I was around 8 years old I always loved listening to classical music CD's when playing with my toys. Then later I started finishing my solo piano compositions when I was living in London. There were many jamsessions I went to and I listened to albums of Nina Simone and Chick Corea. Living there and seeing all the amazing musicians there got me inspired to take action and start writing my album.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Charley van Veldhoven:
Cashmere Cat "Moo"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Charley van Veldhoven:
Hiromi "Old Castle, by the river, in the middle of a forest"