ONE MAN, who has taken part in nearly 40 music festivals here, may not be noticed by spectators even though he’s been on stage all of those times.
Jose Coosemans has been one of the accompanists for soloists, choirs and school groups at the Pacific Northwest Music Festival in at least 36 festivals of his 40 years living here.
“Because it feels good to help people achieve their goals. That’s what I find and just for the sake of the music too,” said Coosemans about why he enjoys doing it.
He taught piano for many years and is semi-retired now.
It varies from year to year for how many singers and groups ask him to be their accompanist; sometimes he may play up to 100 times at the festival, he said.
He also plays for music students taking exams and at recitals too.
This year at music festival, he’s doing a lot of chorale and music theatre; the latter of which is challenging, he said.
“You really need to keep your eyes and ears open because there’s actions involved and it’s not easy to play for little kids on stage because their voices disappear,” he said, adding he likes playing for all types of music.
“It’s hard because you’re so far away from them on the side of the stage.”
He does play for the same people from year to year but then they grow up and move on.
“And that’s always the sad part,” he added.
Music teachers recommend him to their students for accompaniment.
“It’s really hard to be the teacher, voice teacher and accompany at the same time,” he said of why the teachers don’t do it themselves.
About 38 years ago, he remembers playing for Rachel Reay here and then also for her when she went to provincials in Victoria, he said.
“I remember that being a time I really felt this is what I wanted to do,” he said about accompanying singers on the piano.
As far as highlights, he said in his many years, there have been many students and he didn’t want to name names but did say he had played for a couple of singers from here who have become well-known, such as Ellie Higginson, a lyrical soprano, who sang here, spent a year in Germany with an opera company and has taken a teaching job in Victoria, and opera singer Ambur Braid.
“I really love accompanying people,” he said.
“To me, I never wanted to be a solo performer, It used to get me really nervous. But when someone you coach and mentor and help, is successful, it gives me a lot of satisfaction. I look forward to this time of year.”
He says over the years he’s learned from the vocal, instrumental, chorale and band adjudicators at the festival.
Adjudicators will say things that students have heard from their teachers, but students often need to hear it from someone with authority to actually listen to it, he said.
Music develops the mind, is a way to connect with people and is important for the well-being of the community, he said.
It’s part of brain development and even though people talk about talent, it’s all work ultimately, he said.
Plus it’s fun.
“People ask what I do for work. I say ‘I play.’ I don’t call it work because it’s what I like to do.”