Date of Birth

September 29, 1972

Biography

When I was sixteen years old, I walked into this theatre in my neighborhood with a friend. Before the show had started, I peeped through the curtains, and saw the instruments on the stage shining in beautiful colored lights. Actually, only one instrument just caught my eye: the drums. At this very moment, I realized what I wanted to do. I wanted to play the drums.
However, I was raised in a family listening to classical music all the time, so it took me two years to get the guts to tell my parents. That's the reason why I started playing the drums when I was already eighteen years of age.
After playing along with records (and a lot of air-drumming, because the neighbors didn't like the noise) for almost a year, I figured I really could use some lessons. From the local music store, I was sent to Eelco de Boer. He was my first teacher and almost like a mentor, it was like a perfect match. After about three years of lessons with Eelco, he advised me to try to get into the conservatory. I was accepted in Rotterdam at once in 1994. Since then, I enjoyed more than five years of lessons with great drummers and great teachers.
After graduation in november 1999, I gained lots of experience by playing lots of gigs with lots of bands, toured in many countries in and outside Europe, playing a lot of different styles of music. After a while, I felt like taking lessons again. There was only one drummer I wanted to have lessons with, and that was Chander Sardjoe. He is the best. I had a great time hanging out with him every now and then for almost three years, until he moved to Paris.

Up until now, I played with groups and artists like King Mo (NL), Kooymans & Carillo (NL/USA), Dennis Kolen (NL), Joris Lutz (NL), Lacourt (NL), Cuccurullo Brillo Brullo (NL), Corrina Greyson (UK), Bandit (B), Ted Oberg (NL), Simone Roerade (NL), The GrooveYard (NL), Tino Gonzales (USA/F), Superglue (NL) and a lot of coverbands, like Men's Best Friend, Straight Ahead, Blend-It, K'BAM!, GrooveZone, Amstel Live Band and many more.

Currently I'm involved with the Stefan Schill Band, Natalia Jayden, and Hurricane Bob.

Besides playing live, I'm recording drums for a lot of music in my own and in other studios. More about this subject on my Studio page.

Just after I graduated, I was asked to teach rhythm training at the Pop Academy of the Rotterdam conservatory, called Codarts, Univerity for the Arts. I still teach there one day a week, and it is a lot of fun to do. I like to work there because of the great musicians and colleagues I work with, and the high level of the students.

Website

http://www.arieverhaar.nl

Telephone

+31625467261

Email

averhaar@codarts.nl arieverhaar@gmail.com

Favorite music

Just to name a few of my favorite albums:
Ten Summoner's Tales - Sting
The Royal Scam - Steely Dan
Nightwalker - Gino Vannelli
Zappa in New York
Deadwing - Porcupine Tree
Thrust - Herbie Hancock
The Imagine Project - Herbie Hancock
Aretha live at Filmore West
The Tao of Mad Phat - Steve Coleman
Y'all Just Don't Know - Dapp Theory
Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell
The Nightfly - Donald Fagen
Continuum - John Mayer
Goldnigga - New Power Generation

Gear

Sonor Drums
Diril Cymbals
Bosphorus Cymbals
Zildjian Cymbals
Vater Drumsticks
Remo Drumheads

Bands

Stefan Schill Band
Natalia Jayden
Menno Gootjes & Band
Hurricane Bob

Available for Concerts

Yes