Merlijn Twaalfhoven in Jalazon - photo by Adam Sebire
TEDxAmsterdam is publishing a series of interviews with the speakers of TEDxAmsterdam 2009. Last year, composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven shared his idea that art should become more part of our daily lives. Recently Barbara Putman Cramer caught up with him to find out what happened since.
Composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven believes the world is overflowing with great ideas to change the world, so what we need is not more ideas. Instead, he argues in favour of a strategy that makes these ideas work.
His strategy to make ideas work is characterized by the principle of breakthrough. A breakthrough is an experience evoked by the act of surprise. Merlijn shared this unconventional perspective on art during his talk as performed at TEDxAmsterdam 2009.
Merlijn attempts to stir the hearts of people with his melodious initiatives, creating a sense of openness unexperienced before. His latest post on Twitter, which refers to his most recent project wherein he shapes an opportunity for people to feel differently about the Palestinians, also expresses his own breakthrough: “Played with musicians from Gaza and Holland in a Skype concert! It was touching to make music with these guys that live in such isolation.”
After almost nine months and 2,500 views on Vimeo and Youtube, we ask Merlijn what breakthroughs he has experienced the past year, what his talk made him realize and what’s on for the future.
“Actually, what taught me most about writing my TEDx talk was that I realized it is important not to restrict myself to being a composer, a performer of projects. I wanted to express more than purely what I do.” In order to bring the experience of a sense of wonder to a greater audience, Merlijn uses his artistry to take a different stance on common objects and everyday events. Softening the boundaries between art and daily life, he wants his public to increase their openness toward a sense of confusion, doubt and vulnerability.
During TEDxAmsterdam 2009, Hans Aarsman’s talk impressed Merlijn, because Aarsman has an “artist’s eye,” without being ostentatious about it. Aarsman has an eye for what others generally do not see. Merlijn grants everybody the pleasure to experience this insight, that shows us how many significant ideas already exist. “I don’t believe we need more works of art. Instead, we should break through our ruling thought patterns, and be open-minded to everything there is on hand.”
One way to achieve this open-mindedness, is to accept uncertainty. “I admire those who reveal their doubts. Personally, I think Joris Luyendijk is a striking example in his approach to breathe new life into conventional journalism. He dares to let his readers participate in solving his professional dilemmas. That’s the courage I believe unleashes the necessary openness.”
In fact, an earlier project Merlijn set up in the city of Jerusalem, whereby he organized more than 150 small concerts and theatre performances in private living rooms, was also inspired by Joris Luyendijk. While Luyendijk shows the dilemma that only exaggerations and exceptions to daily life are communicated through the news media, making it impossible for outsiders to understand the true situation of a conflict zone, Merlijn is convinced art can bring people closer to reality, because “art pays attention to the beauty of the little everyday things of life.”
In fact, through art we can learn more about the world we live – art can be a form of journalism.
So, you may wonder, what does this actually mean for his own art? In a recent television broadcast Merlijn was interviewed about his musical background and his love for bringing art into the real world – from spatial audio landscapes to projects involving all kinds of people. The broadcast (in Dutch) can be found below, and provides insight in his thinking as well as his art.
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