Certain musical and musicological topics have always occupied me theoretically and practically, so that I have been able to deepen and elaborate on them over the years.
I would like to introduce interested people to these focal points, which continue to accompany and fascinate me. Depending on requirements, a topic can be summarized in a shorter or longer lecture, or made tangible in the form of an interactive workshop with practical units. 

The starting point for me is the question of the extent to which musical tuning systems that differ from the equal temperament we use today can trigger specific emotional moods in the listener. In this context, I introduce various tonal systems of European and non-European music history in order to show characteristics, differences and developments. The "well-tempered moods" of the 18th century, musical key characteristics and the doctrine of affects are compared with the raga and the rasa doctrine of North Indian art music. Both systems claim to be able to trigger specific emotions in musicians and their listeners using purely musical means.

With the help of appropriately tuned instruments, I will introduce you to different worlds of sound, make the theoretical background audible and give examples of the music created in the respective systems.

Instrumental teachers are increasingly encountering pupils who play on the left. What appears to be an interesting change for one person can cause tension and excessive demands for another. How do we deal with such requests from left-handers to play music according to their handedness or can we perhaps even encourage this ourselves?

Despite my pronounced left-handedness, I initially learned to play the cello and other instruments conventionally. In 2012, I also started playing a left-handed cello and studied it scientifically as part of my bachelor's thesis. I also gained experience on other inverted instruments such as piano, flute and the tabla tarang, which I play exclusively mirrored.

My offer is aimed at teachers and students and includes a theoretical examination of the topic of handedness, its relevance to instrumental playing and ideas for teaching practice. If you are interested, you can try out the relevant instruments.

The aim is to provide information, eliminate any uncertainties and encourage left-handed students to choose the right instrument for them.

We often associate Indian music with the dim, mystical sounds of delicate, exotic instruments. Less well known are the clear mathematical structures, strict rules and philosophical teachings that form the basis of a highly complex art of improvisation. Understanding this background does not take away its magic but brings it closer to us and makes it easier to understand.

I have been involved with classical North Indian music since the age of 17. After initial lessons on the cello with Pandit Kamalesh Maitra, I learned to play the sitar in India with Ustad Rafique Khan and Sanjeev Korti. In addition to deepening my theoretical knowledge in various student research projects, I transferred my practical knowledge to the tabla tarang.

In lectures and workshops I give theoretical and practical insights to introduce others to this fascinating music.

The tabla tarang, or taranga for short, is a rare Indian melody instrument and consists of several dayans, the smaller drums of the tabla pair, tuned to different pitches. They can be retuned and combined to create different ragas or modes. In this way, the taranga forms an interface between the melodic raga and the tala otherwise played on the tabla pair.

My 14 drums comprise two octaves of seven notes each. The middle octave on the basic note C is supplemented by half a high and half a low octave.

In 2008 I began working with the taranga in a playful and pedagogical way and intensified my involvement as part of a master's degree at the Münster University of Music 2017-2020.

I developed a flowing playing technique, melodic-harmonic, modal and tonal-noise elements on the instrument. In the final composition project, I combined elements of North Indian and European classical music.

If you are interested in this exotic instrument, I offer a presentation of my approach, musical examples and an exchange of ideas.