May Peters
I
have long been aware of the fine reputation of multi talented musician May Peters. May can effortlessly transfer from jazz trombone, be it tenor or bass, to arranging, be a big band director, organist, through to teaching Spanish language, not to mention author and trombone professor. An impressive list for a CV, I’d say!
Living in the Moment
with a local missionary in Africa), at age fourteen her choice of profession was journalism (interviewing teachers and writing cartoons and plays), but when she was fifteen she decided to become a musician. Finally, after some decades, she would become a professional in all three.
Philip Biggs
before that (he actually is a yogi). He was the analytical one, Bart was all about emotions! Erik was also the big band director and every two weeks we had these unforgettable section rehearsals where Erik taught the right attitude to play in a section. Erik’s philosophy was that you had to have elephant ears and that you should be able to imitate your neighbour on the spot!”
May’s whole approach to life and May’s big passion from the age music is totally holistic. Chatting of 16 was the Big Band. She has to May, she tells me that each played in a number of big bands day starts with thirty minutes of including the Jazz Orchestra meditation - and that’s before of the Royal Concertgebouw, any practice. May moved from the Ramblers and the Glenn The Netherlands to Puerto Rico Miller Orchestra (Germany). in 1994 and has lived there May’s other big passion is pop ever since, travelling between and soul music, which she loves the Island of Enchantment and to play. She started out in the Europe. Her routine is cycling Belushi Memorial Blues Brothers and every other day May cycles Band and many other Dutch some 50 kilometres along her and German pop groups (on ‘Energyroute’ which is by the keyboard, trombone and as an May Peters. Photo: Fernando J Montano Atlantic Ocean shore from San arranger). But her true passion is Juan to Loiza. May tells me that this salsa, starting out with an Antillean band At fifteen May switched to trombone, is the ultimate way to connect to the in 1991. Soon afterwards she was playing but also played electronic organ. In 1987 universe. with the Venezuelan Band, Javier Plaza she graduated from the Conservatoryy su Orquesta Son Risa. It was in Paris May toured extensively through Europe Maastricht in ´Electronic Organ´ France in 1993, where she talked with and beyond when she was a member of Keyboard/Synthesizer. Three years later Puerto Rican bass player Tomas Pérez, the Glenn Miller Memorial Orchestra. She May graduated from the Conservatory who convinced her to go to Puerto Rico has toured in Holland, Germany, France, Hilversum where she studied ´Trombone to study the salsa culture. Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Monaco, Jazz´ (Popular music) with Bart van Lier. Italy, Sweden and Tunisia, and performed Her final concert was a delicious menu of Following her return to the Netherlands in 27 countries around the world as a all kinds of musical styles. She presented in 1995 May studied Spanish - out of trombone player, big band director and a herself as the all-round musician she homesickness for the Caribbean - and lecturer about Latin music. is: with an Original Old Style band, her gained her teacher’s degree after two bebop quintet Jazz It Up with saxophone years. May Peters was born in 1964 in Echt, player/composer Carolyn Breuer, big Netherlands and grew up on a farm at Shortly afterwards, she became the band, Brazilian - and salsa music. Later Zwaantjeshof in Berkelaar-Echt, the most musical director of Big Band Beeg, on she performed on stage as a tenor southern province of Holland. She started Grevenbicht where she transcribed, and bass trombone player, and was an to play the flute at the age of five and arranged and directed a Mambo project, arranger/copyist and big band director. three years later started to study horn, arrangements of the Latin Big Band becoming a member of a woodwind When I asked May about her strongest Era New York : Fiesta Latina with guest ensemble. Growing up in the culture of influences during her education, she musicians from Venezuela such as Javier the southern area of Holland with a lot was quick to point to the brothers Bart Plaza (vocals and percussion), Gerardo of Catholic feasts, she loved to celebrate and Erik van Lier. “Bart had a Buddist/ Rosales (percussion), Jorge Martínez carnival and joined the band that Eastern philosophy,” May told me. “He (piano) from Cuba, Randal Corsen accompanied the Prince of Carnival. taught about stepping out of one’s (piano) Curaçao, and Thomas Böttcher ego. The secret is to connect with the When she was ten May wanted to (piano) Germany and Daniel Patriasz universe, or whatever you want to call become a missionary (she corresponded (percussion) Holland. it. And be a medium. He was very into a In May 1998 the Royal Dutch Embassy of relaxed way of playing the Netherlands asked May to represent and to achieve that he the Netherlands at the Euro Day Gala, as started with Remington director of the Big Band from the Music (Clark) - completely the Academy Gauteng, South Africa. From opposite of the Arban 2000 until 2003 May was the musical method. He wrote his director of the Blue Basement Big Band book ‘Coordination for (Swinging Sounds) Hoevelaken. From Trombone playing’ when 2002 until 2006 May taught Spanish I was a student of his. at the University of Applied Sciences, His relaxing exercises are Utrecht and Tilburg, Holland. She played yoga based. His brother with clarinetist Bernard Berkhout in the Erik was also my teacher New Orleans Syncopators with whom she Photo: Vanesa San Emeterio.
68 The Brass Herald February 2014