Kiki no longer has to choose between Jazz or Pop

Kiki Landkroon Jazz & Pop student

Kiki Landkroon is a fourth-year student of Jazz & Pop at HKU Utrechts Conservatorium. When she has graduated, she hopes above all to find variety: keep performing, teaching, organising events, and writing music. The main thread in her musical activities is Brazilian music. She already got a taste from several other music schools before she eventually ended up at HKU Utrecht. ‘I’m glad that it turned out this way.’

After the preparatory Jazz course at Codarts Rotterdam, Kiki first tried to audition there for the Bachelor. ‘I wasn’t admitted, but did get selected for Jazz & Pop at Utrechts Conservatorium. At Codarts, Jazz and Pop are separated into two different programmes. I found it hard to choose between them. But at HKU, both are taught together in one curriculum. At the time, I wasn’t happy with the rejection, of course, but now I’m actually happy that it turned out this way. I have more freedom in the kinds of music I want to play and no longer feel forced to choose between either jazz or pop. I can simply play what I like.’

Competition

Before she started at HKU, Kiki also did a preparatory course at Fontys Academies in Tilburg. ‘Fontys has a very small jazz department. This can be a good thing, because you quickly get to know everyone and can easily find your way. Yet on the other hand, you are much more limited in who you can play with. Codarts is much bigger. There you could strongly feel the competition, but you did have much more potential to play together with others. HKU takes the middle ground: it’s small enough to feel warm and know each other, but large enough to offer enough playing partners. I also appreciate that you can choose many directions here, plus the fact that there are simply a lot of very talent people at the Conservatorium. So you do get a sense of competition, but I’d say that’s only good. It makes you think: ‘wow, the fact that my fellow student is so good, shows how far you can come here.’ It’s how you inspire each other.

Brazilian music

Kiki's love for Brazilian music was kindled in her first year of study. "I was in a small Bossanova band, and through Spotify and YouTube, I found other Brazilian genres such as Samba and Mpb (música popular brasileira). I really liked it: beautiful rhythms, nice melodies, simply enjoyable.' And thus, Kiki learned Portuguese and founded the band Cacti, with whom she now creates her own Brazilian music.

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Because she wanted to further explore Brazilian music, she planned to go study in Brazil. However, at that time (due to COVID-19 and Bolsonaro in power), it turned out to be too difficult to arrange. When an international coordinator at HKU told her about the Erasmus programme and the large Brazilian musical community in Portugal, she found a new destination. ‘I ended up in the small university town of Aveiro. There, I made Brazilian friends who introduced me to the genres of Choro and Forró. A whole new world opened up for me. When I returned, I shared this music with my band.’

Kiki with her band Cacti.

A future full of variety

For her graduation in June, Kiki is currently setting up a pop project. Additionally, she wants to organize authentic, traditional Roda de Samba events with Brazilian musicians. These are parties where the musicians sit around a table and the audience dances around them. ‘Many Dutch people have never seen that before, while it’s a nostalgic experience for many Brazilian people. And simply very enjoyable for everyone.’

If there’s one thing she wishes for the future, Kiki hopes for variety: ‘I hope to keep on organising Brazilian music events and get to know that community even better. Furthermore, I hope to keep on writing, arrange songs, perform, play trumpet gigs, and keep on teaching at the singing and music schools.’

Want to stay informed about Kiki and her work? Follow her on Instagram.