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Vinzenz Stergin

Performer, composer, producer, educator

Tell us a little about yourself I’m a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and educator. I grew up in the Austrian Alps, worked for human rights organisations in Amsterdam and Los Angeles and eventually moved to London to do my Master of Music at Trinity Laban in 2008. Over the years I acquired a versatile set of skills, ranging from playing different instruments (clarinet, guitars, vocals, synths), to producing music and videos, and creating multimedia projects and installations. Musically I’m not tied to a specific genre and I love to experiment and explore with different styles and art forms such as in my project ’12 Photos 12 Tracks’: I sent a Polaroid camera on a journey around the world where 12 people, living on all the continents, had only one chance of making a photo of a place they love. The camera took over two years to return to London! My band Ode To Lucius and I then wrote 12 tracks inspired by those photos. We premiered the project with a concert of all 12 songs and an accompanying exhibition. My most recent project 1 Mi2 (one square mile) is about promoting empathy in the square miles where we live. I recorded chats with people living in my immediate neighbourhood and those chats inspired new music. The public can listen to the interviews and related songs in an online exhibition alongside photographs of the interviewees. The aim is to find musicians from all over the planet to follow the same process. As an educator I’m the co-founder of Neuzugang Learning, where we combine music with wellbeing. I’m also lead creative with InHouse records, a social enterprise/record label where I work with young offenders inside Her Majesty’s Prisons. I’m a work in progress and I love it.

Who (or what has most influenced you and your career)? Over the years I have met many inspiring people and they all play a part in me keeping my musical career going, which can be really hard from time to time. My family, musicians I worked with and the odd stranger on the train are keeping me inspired. As for specific mentors in my life, my clarinet teacher at Mozarteum Innsbruck Walter Seebacher was certainly very influential. Besides music I learnt so much in between the lines about being kind and staying curious in whatever I do. More recently my work with InHouse records and its founder Judah Armani really gave me new perspectives which I hadn’t experienced before. It really showed me about the power of music again. As an artist, where it’s a lot about yourself all the time, promoting projects, marketing, etc, it feels so good to see the transformative power of music in a greater context again. I started to do music because of its magic and power to connect with people. I also get lots of inspiration from being in nature and making bonfires.

What would you say is your greatest achievement to date? I gained a certificate of failure for terrible art by my favourite art gallery in Greenwich – the Ben Oakley gallery.

Who is your all-time favourite artist and why? I don’t have an all-time favourite artist as there are countless artists doing great things. Generally, I am inspired by people who see music and art, or whatever they do with passion, in a greater context and who don’t take themselves too seriously.

What was the last CD/music download that you purchased? Recently I started a new Instagram reels series on my insta account where I learn and post a new song every morning. It’s old classics and future classics. So I’m streaming lots of different songs; recently I checked out Jolene by Dolly Parton. Such an amazing song.

What are your plans for the future? I want to stay positive about the world and try my best to leave an impact, connecting people and spreading music and art as a tool for anyone for a happier life. I want to get back into playing live a lot more as well.

Finally, what is your ISM membership to you? The ISM is very often my first point of contact for anything music or health related. Especially the legal service helped me to make several well-informed decisions. I know that the advice I’m getting is always in my best interest and that is very reassuring. @sterginmusic stergin.com onesquaremile.eu 12photos12tracks.com neuzugang.net

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