Why choose? Alumna Vivienne Aerts is a psychologist, musician, teacher and artist
As a jazz singer, alumna Vivienne Aerts caused an international sensation. As a teacher, she uses her degree in Psychology to help musicians cope better with stress. She supports Congolese women through chocolate art. Where does she get her motivation?
10am in New York. From her home in The Big Apple, Vivienne talks about her Psychology degree and how her love of music, art and the human psyche reinforce one another. It all began at an early age: ‘When I was 12, I was a church pianist and I was already giving piano lessons. My first pupil was autistic and he was challenging to work with. That sparked my interest in the psyche and human interaction.’ That’s why, after secondary school, she opted for the Conservatoire in The Hague and a Psychology degree in Leiden.
Leadership
Even after graduating, she continued to combine both of these interests. ‘During the day, I worked as a psychologist in a practice, in the evenings I conducted choirs and at weekends I performed as a singer with my band.’ How did she apply what she learned from her Psychology studies to her music work? ‘As a conductor, you’re leading up to 40 people at a time, all of whom you quite literally need to keep on the same page. The kind of leadership you display makes all the difference. This is something I had explored in depth during my studies. I consciously went for a relaxed, laissez-faire style of leadership where people are primarily motivated do their best by their own enthusiasm.’
A choir of psychiatric patients
Vivienne’s choirs were very diverse, ranging from a sea shanty choir and a sentimental ballad choir to a choir of psychiatric patients. She explains: ‘They had very different social and mental health issues. It was wonderful to be able to get them to make music together, despite all of those differences.’
To the US
Vivienne wanted to delve deeper into music and psychology and, with a Fulbright scholarship in hand, attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. ‘It was a very special experience. It’s the largest conservatoire in the world for non-classical music – they have a huge number of inspiring students.’ In her spare time, she continued working on her own music, which was a fusion of dreamy jazz and electro pop, and performed in major New York jazz clubs such as Blue Note.
Musicians and stress
It’s no surprise, Vivienne agrees, that she wanted to stay in the US after graduating. She took up a teaching post at Berklee College, where she had studied, and still works there two days a week. She says, ‘I teach mindfulness techniques and experimental improvisation to musicians. They can suffer greatly from mental blocks. Performances have to go perfectly, which often causes a lot of stress. They bring their own instruments to the class – such as a violin or an electric guitar. First of all, we discuss how they’re affected by stress and which mindfulness exercises can help, and then they make music together in class.’
Recordings on a boat
How many hours are there actually in her day? She laughs, ‘Not enough, by far! I also make my own music. My new album, ‘Current’, is coming out in June. The entire thing was recorded on a sailing boat on the Kaag Lakes and the inland waterways on the way to Amsterdam. I recorded the underwater sounds with a hydrophone, and the bird sounds using a field recorder. Musicians also jumped on board with a double bass, harmonica and saxophone, and we recorded their music on the boat.’
Chocolate art
Vivienne has one more passion: conceptual art. In Vervool, her performance project, she collaborates with her Dutch husband, Ted Steinebach, who used to work as a pastry chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York. Together, they put together a unique art performance. ‘At festivals and in museums, he produces gigantic edible paintings and throws desserts onto a table. I create experimental, improvised soundscapes alongside, and afterwards the audience eats the desserts.’
Cocoa grown by Congolese women
Vivienne also has an idealistic approach to chocolate. She’s an ambassador for the chocolate brand Original Beans, and one of the brand’s bars is made from cocoa grown by women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In return, they receive a living wage that they can use to support their families. This collaboration with the Congolese women also led to Vivienne’s album entitled ‘Typuhthâng’, which features 100 female musicians, some of whom are Congolese. Part of the album’s proceeds was used to support the cocoa project.
New York vs. Leiden
Meanwhile, Vivienne hasn’t forgotten her roots in Leiden, and she stays at her home here when she’s in the Netherlands. Does she feel completely at home in today’s America? ‘New York is very different from the rest of America, so that helps. If it weren’t for New York, I probably wouldn’t live there. In New York, so many inspired people come together to create art and culture, and there’s so much energy. The beauty is that music connects people and that makes everyone equal. It’s also lovely to be in Leiden when we’re there for family and concerts. Leiden is very quiet compared to New York, but I appreciate that calm as it allows me to recharge.’