Nienke

At the age of five, Nienke (born 1987, Groningen) started to love music. After playing the flute for a few years she just wanted to play piano. The piano was her favorite instrument during 7 years. After that, she quit piano lessons, because she didn’t liked the classical way of using the instrument. Without lessons she played everyday and she discovered how to play chords. This is when she started to write songs. That was the moment she found out that the process of writing songs was something she just needed to do. At the age of 15 she won a contest, and she had the possibility to play her own song with the NBE (Nederlands Blazers Ensemble) in the Oosterpoort (Groningen). It was a great experience, and it really motivated her to go on with singing and writing music. She also became third at another contest (Kunstbende) in Groningen.When she finished high school, just like she should, after 6 years of hard working, she started an intensive study program at the Academie voor Popcultuur in Leeuwarden. This study included performance and studies abroad, including Rome, Italy. At the moment, she’s busy singing backing vocals in two bands (not shakespeare, Mirthe), she’s writing songs, playing piano, guitar and she just had her first lessons at the saxophone. Now she started her own band, with her own music. This band excists of five great musicians and friends. Her new band has influences from Corinne Bailey Rae, as well as lots of other singer-songwriters. When she has the first set together, she will be ready to perform and to make people know her!