BIOGRAPHY

Compact Biography Dirk Dronkers

Dirk Dronkers was born in Aalten (Holland) on the 6th of June 1982. He rose up in a musical family. There were a lot instruments in home to choose of, but he directly staged to the drums. On the age of 6 he became member of a local marching band where he was taught the basics of snare drum.
He played on school when there were special occasions and with some friends at home using the stereo as an amplifier. Creativity and organization skills were already there. He started to compose songs as well on the computer as on the guitar and piano.
In 1996 he founded together with school friends the rock/metal formation Dialogue. With this group he wrote and record 2 CD's. One of them (Time Deals All Wounds, 1997) has been released. The have played on a lot of festivals, contests and had own concerts.
With Dialogue he rehearsed at JM Musicfactory in Neede (Holland) where just had started a drum shop. He get involved and got there a job. This is where he learned everything about the drums.
At the same place he met his first drum teacher: Herman Lubben. In 2000 Dirk took his first drum lessons. Before that he tough himself to put his snare drum knowledge on the drums. His listened and analyzed all the drummers he heard.
In the same year Dirk quit with Dialogue and went to the commercial circuit and entered an duo: Tax-Free. That gave Dirk the freedom to study as much as he could.
Two years later he could start on the Saxion Conservatory Enschede (these days called ArteZ Hogescholen, Enschede, Holland). He stopped with the duo and when you the show band Rhapsody.
On the conservatory he got ea education of Danny Sahupala, René Engel, Davy de Wit, Ruud Ouwehand, Nippy Noya, Michel van Schie, Glenn Corneille.
Dirk became soon recognized as a solid (band) leader. He organized so much that the school hired him for this. He became the contact person for the school with the external podia.
From 2003 he was co-founder and president of the music collective 'Het Enschedees Pop Akkoord'. He organized for this several festivals, open promotion concerts and made connections between bands, pubs, local studios and local and national fund money.
In 2005 Dirk made on request of a music school (WenC Borne, Holland), a study to set up an curriculum for a pop music school. This music school wanted a specialized pop department.
In the same year Dirk changed from band again and went on with the show band Maxim.
Besides these big projects found Dirk also time to be a session drummer (from recording to musicals) and a band leader for a jazz quartet (D-Friends) which played on any special occasion. Even in Germany he had a rock band project going on: B54.
From 2004 he was a teacher at Dutch and German schools and had some private students. Dirk has given several workshops. One of them he gave with René Engel and another one as a support workshop before a workshop of Will Calhoun.
He decided to start for al this a one-man company (the so called Dutch VAR-UWO for musician, docent and music-consulate).
At school he met Jonathan Ihlenfeld Cuñado , a basplayer with who he became a strong rhythm section. With him he organized tours during the summer school vacations to Greece, Spain, Germany and England.
The most of these tours were with their jazz/fusion/flamenco group Join Dilaja. With this band they played on international jazz festivals and they are still working with this group.
Together they get their Bachelor in 2006.
In September 2006 he moved with Jonathan to Barcelona to start from there and begin with the master. Unfortunately it wasn't possible to begin because of organization problems between the conservatories. Because of this reason Dirk went in February 2007 back to Holland. Directly he started with teaching in Germany and re-joint all his "old" bands.
Dirk reduced his activaties to concentrate himself on teaching and keeping time free to work with Jonathan on writing own material. As a result they recorded 'Barcelona no. 5' in july 2007 (which won the 1st price in the category 'fusion' of the german 'DRMV' comeptition december 2007).
From june 2008 Dirk got and took the chance to take over the drum shop from Jerry Mensink (JM Musicfactory, Neede). The place where it all started for Dirk. A chance of a life time and he got help from some good friends and pro's. People like Jerry Minsink himself, Willem Schoonheim, Hans Beumer, and many others.
Dirk added a new dimension to the drum shop: the drum road service. Something totally new in Holland. Where every you are Dirk (or Dirk's Drum Service 'DDS') comes at any moment to repair or tune any drumkit. Just like the well known road service. This service is also available for drum bands and drum schools.

Discography

  • Dialogue - Time Deals All Wounds (1997)
  • Dialogue - Mess (1999)
  • Impulse Traveler - Demo (December 2002)
  • Popacademie - Commercial Band Case Concert (May 2003)
  • Impulse Traveler - Demo (November 2003)
  • Gig - Demo (April 2004)
  • Jacko Zieverink - Latin Looser (June 2004)
  • Join Dilaja - Demo (April 2002)
  • Join Dilaja - Live in Sanlucar (July 2005)
    Festival Internacional de Jazz Ciudad de Sanlúcar
  • BeauMa - Demo (September 2005)
  • Rogier Grosman Producties - Don't hide your feelings (November 2005)
  • Georg Kwiotek - Demo (February 2006)
  • B54 - Demo (May 2006)
  • EastWest - Demo (May 2006)
  • Dirk Dronkers & Jonathan Ihlenfeld Cuņado - Exam (July 2006)
    Live in Rock 'n Pop Museum Gronau
  • Join Dilaja - Bacelona no. 5 (July 2007)
    Recorded with Sebastiaan Altekamp and Manni Wex

Bands

  • Amuse
  • B54
  • Los Bala
  • BeauMa
  • D-Friends
  • Dialogue
  • EastWest
  • GIG
  • HaDieJan!
  • Impulse Traveler
  • Join Dilaja
  • Maxim
  • Point X
  • Q.M.E.
  • Return of the Danceformers
  • Rhapsody
  • Ronny Tober
  • Special Delivery
  • S.ym
  • Tax-Free
  • The Groove Company
  • Tubantia Lezers Koor
  • And many more...
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