{"id":104,"date":"2021-02-22T13:39:17","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T12:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sjaakvandam.nl\/artist\/?page_id=104"},"modified":"2026-03-29T23:38:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:38:54","slug":"biography-drums","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sjaakvandam.nl\/artist\/drummer\/biography-drums\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography Drums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I started playing piano at the age of five, but switched to drums not long after that. My interest in piano and synths always remained and developed, but my main interest became drums. Lots of bands & projects, gigs & tours followed, and at the age of 22 I graduated cum laude from the conservatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspiration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Most of my playing has developed aurally. I have learned a great deal from listening to my favorite records, and studying the style and sound of certain players and bands. This started with rock drummers like Dave Grohl<\/a>, Jon Theodore<\/a> and John Bonham<\/a>.

My interest in jazz, funk, breakbeat, and hip-hop also grew increasingly. Drummers such as Joseph Modeliste<\/a>, Mark Guiliana<\/a>, Dave King<\/a>, Jojo Mayer<\/a> and Brian Blade<\/a> have significantly influenced my development as a musician, as have producers like J Dilla<\/a>, Madlib<\/a> and Q-Tip<\/a>. My interest in session work also grew, with inspirations like Ash Soan<\/a>, Aaron Sterling<\/a> and Vinnie Colaiuta<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Work as a Drummer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Playing together is and has always been an essential element of my development as a drummer. Over the years, I have toured with various bands and projects through Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, England, Spain, Belgium, Albania, France, the Czech Republic Wales and, of course, the Netherlands, where I’ve had the honour of performing at venues such as Paradiso<\/a>, TivoliVredenburg<\/a>, PAARD<\/a>, AFAS Live<\/a> and Ahoy<\/a>.

These shows and tours have been with different bands within genres such as singer-songwriter, indie, pop, and rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporating electronics into my drumming has become an increasingly significant part of my playing. I have delved deeply into synthesis and triggering. Over the years, I have become very familiar with using Ableton Live, both for production and live shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays, a large part of my work consists of session work, both live and in the studio. Musical projects I\u2019m involved in often intersect with themes such as climate change, environmental issues, social equality and other cultural topics, though of course that\u2019s not a strict requirement for booking me.

Collectives I\u2019ve collaborated with on these themes include DIK Danstheater<\/a>, The Herds<\/a>, Catching Cultures<\/a>, and BEAT! Plastic Waste<\/a>.

You can check out an overview of what I have done so far here<\/a>, or contact me<\/a> if you want to collaborate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sound has always been a huge part of my playing. A different snare completely changes the way I want to play, and the same goes for a drumkit, cymbal, or the addition of electronics. I love playing with sound, and can truly get lost in searching for the perfect sound.

I like to keep my selection of instruments diverse, but I do have a specific taste for dark & big cymbals, and dry & muddy snares. Of course the player always will be the defining factor, no one sounds the way they do because of their gear.

Still, we musicians do love to look around for those sexy sounds. If you’d like to take a look in my drumstudio, see what sounds move me, you can do so here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you interested in my story regarding the handpan? Check more information about my work as a handpan artist<\/a>, or (in Dutch) my work as a handpan teacher<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I started playing piano at the age of five, but switched to drums not long after that. My interest in piano and synths always remained and developed, but my main interest became drums. Lots of bands & projects, gigs & tours followed, and at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3793,"parent":59,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-104","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"Biography Drums - Sjaak van Dam | artist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On this page you'll find my biography as a drummer. Interested in what influences me when it comes to drums, and what I've done? 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