OUT OF THE BLUE: MAIKEL MEULEMA

- Who are you?
I am Maikel Meulema, 19 years old and live in Groningen

- What do you do for Beatrix?
I play Tenor.

- How many hours per week do you practice?
Often I put on an mp3 of our show, just to listen. This is a way to learn memorize my music. Learning the actual notes of the show I do during rehearsal. Sometimes it’s better to work on basics and technique than learning the show music. I try to practice every day.

- How did you get to know Beatrix?
I started my musical career with Showband Noordenveld from Roden, Netherlands. I played there for about 4 years. I decided I wanted to do something else and played top-bass for one year with Showband Marum. The American style show concept with Showband Marum attracted me and through their staff I became a member of the indoor group EuropeanX. With EuropeanX I also play bass drum and here I got to know members from Beatrix’. Out of curiosity for drumcorps I decided to visit a rehearsal of Beatrix’. This was such a good experience that I decided to join. Not on bass drum as I expected but on tenor. The drumcorps experience is new for me, as are the people, the organization and the instrument I play. This makes this year so very much fun for me.

- What is special about Beatrix’ ?
Beatrix’ puts a new high level show on the field with a completely different group of members every year. From where I come, that on its own is very special.

- What is the reason you became a member of Beatrix’ ?
I wanted to experience what it is like to be a part of a drumcorps that has been competes at the highest level in Europe. It is interesting to see all the ins and outs of drumcorps. Beatrix has been at the top for decades so it’s certainly a challenge for me.

- What do you believe to be Beatrix’ power?
I think it’s the way we rehearse. Not only the frequency and long hours of rehearsals but more the mentality of the members during rehearsal makes it possible to produce a high-level show every year. Because of the discipline and enthusiasm of the members, the effectiveness of the rehearsals is very high. But also fun is a big part of the corps mentality……..

- You probably get sometimes the question, what is Beatrix’ ? How do you explain this?
Many people think that we are a traditional marching band. I try to explain that the corps consists mostly of young people and that we do not play traditional march music. I also add that drumcorps are more competition driven than traditional marching bands.

- During Easter Camp you rehearse from 08.30 till 22.00. After this you have some time to do your own thing. You shower, eat and drink something and go to sleep, and onto the next rehearsal day. A lot of people would think you are crazy? What makes it all worth it?
The fact that you do something you really like four days in a row. At the end of the weekend you see the result, a complete drumcorps show on the field. With indoor percussion I experienced something similar but with Beatrix’ it’s a lot harder. During camp you also get to know the rest of the corps. Before camp there is not much time for that.

- You have been a member for some months now. How did think about Beatrix before you were part of it and how do you think about Beatrix now?
There is a lot of talking about drumcorps in the traditional world of marching bands. From the inside I now see that a lot of things are not true or highly exaggerated. For example, there are people who think that drumcorps members have an inhumane hard mentality and are arrogant. I now know that that is not true.

- Did you think, before you were a member, that you could make it in Beatrix’ ? Are you going to make it ?
I was anxious to see how my level compared to the level of the other members. I didn’t have any idea what to expect. And look at me now. Not in my wildest dreams I thought that I would march a, for me, new instrument in a drumcorps like Beatrix’. Of course I was a bit lucky to get this position but it shows that there are more opportunities that you would think at first.

- What would you like to say to potential members who have doubt about their own level and chances to make it as a member of Beatrix’?
The Beatrix’ staff team is able to make people march their show within the year. Your level of musicianship is not the most important thing; it’s the eagerness to want to become a member and the will to work hard for it. If you have the drive to invest in the best experience ever, then there is no reason to hesitate.

- Do you have anything left that you would like to say?
A lot of people think I am crazy to drive the all the way from Hilversum to Groningen twice a week. But on my way back in the train, when I reflect on the rehearsal, and know I learned something new again I know why I love this so much.