4 minute read
State of the Art Jef Neve on a challenging but inspiring year
Reinventing culture after COVID-19
Jef Neve believes that live-streamed concerts will be here to stay and that there will be more opportunities for cross-border collaborations in the future.
Jef Neve
on a challenging but inspiring year
The country went into lockdown in March last year. Nobody could have predicted at that time what this would mean for the cultural sector. While we were all standing in line at supermarket checkouts, Jef Neve decided to treat his followers to some online miniconcerts. All he needed was a smartphone and a piano. This was the start of a year full of surprises, new insights, and a very cool concept in the form of a series of online concerts. — You started doing live music streams
from day one; how do you reflect on those early beginnings?
“I am incredibly pleased that I made that decision, even though it was quite impulsive. There was almost a sense of euphoria during that first lockdown. We felt a kind of excitement that something was happening that we had never experienced before. I suddenly sensed that there was room to offer something in return to my audience for a change. Everybody was at home, and I thought, well, why not?”
— It eventually turned into the ‘Spring
Live Sessions.’ Did this idea just come to you all of a sudden?
“No, it grew organically. Having gone live on Facebook and Instagram every day for two months, we switched to a paid platform. I performed these shows from my studio in Sint-Martens-Latem with a small team, but
150 concert programs
That’s just how many programs the pianist rehearsed in the past year. Typically, there would be 5 per year.
eventually, we wanted to do it more professionally. We expanded the team and took the visuals and sound to the next level. For me, the icing on the cake was the ‘Spring Sessions’ that we eventually produced, thanks in part to ION’s support. We worked hard to get everything in place. It may sound crazy in a time of a pandemic, but I have met so many new people in the past year. Not only talented artists but also the audience, the listeners. It has been a remarkable year for everyone, and every now and then, the stories come out during those concerts. That does create a sense of connection.”
— Has that connection with the audience
always been significant to you?
“Yes, you can say that. I am always keen to be at the CD stand after a concert for signing sessions or to meet people. In fact, my listeners are my sounding board, and I value their opinions. Some of the stories we heard went straight to my heart. With the contact being digital, a lot of people opened their hearts by writing it all down. They also really took their time for it. Usually, this kind of thing doesn’t happen because signing sessions tend to be very casual. People sent me emails telling me about what they felt at the concert or what is happening in their lives. There were a lot of lonely people who were really looking forward to our concerts. One woman told me that our concerts had given her the courage to carry on. She told me that she had been at a very low point and had almost given up. That kind of thing really hits home. It made me realize that our concerts are also comforting. More than ever, I have felt that connecting with my audience is essential, in both directions.” — Do you expect there to be any
noticeable changes in the cultural world?
“Yes, I think live streaming will become increasingly common. Virtual festivals such as Tomorrowland have also received a major push, and the stage has been set for cross-border collaborations. They are all things that I wasn’t concerned with before the pandemic, and now I am. I am looking forward to seeing where we will be, and I hope that some of the changes will be permanent.”
— Finally, what is your view of the future? “I’m a positive person! When I compare the situation with last year, I feel that we’ve already come a long way in terms of health care. I just hope that the politicians and the cultural sector will take enough initiative to deal with it. Also, I think that as a society, we have learned something from the crisis. I learned to appreciate things much more; suddenly, you recognize the value of small things. Such as how nice it is to be able to decide how many people you invite to your birthday party or organize a barbecue when the weather is good. We all reflected on that last year, and I think that’s very positive.”
