By: Azad Karimi
When I started to busk at Zurich Lake, peoples react like they saw an amazing talent. First I couldn’t believe that I am that good. With time I realized my musical talent and the reactions from the peoples from the streets help me, to find back to my talent.
Interview
Swiss musician Jonas Straumann
By Azad Karimi
You have been deaf since birth. We both do not know why, But we know that you challenged this problem with your amazing work and efforts problem that challenged your whole destiny. Congratulation to you!
Thank you!
Vestland-Norway
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1-Tell us: When you became interested in music?
.I get connected to music in a early age, when I hold my back to the speakers. Later I started to play some percussion in school and then for a decade drums. When I turned 19, I quit music because peoples around me talking like «You can’t live from music» or «You’re deaf, you will never make it». If you’re young, you believe them. So I quit music for a few years. In the end of 2018, I bought my first Hang and since then, my life turned 360 degree.
2-What is your favorite instrument?
.Definitely the handpan.
3-OH! I forgot to ask you to introduce yourself!
.My name is Jonas Straumann. I was born deaf and I am from Switzerland. Since I found back to my big passion, I quit my old life and start to focus on music only. My story inspires my listeners.
4-When did you become such a professional Artist?
.Define a professional Artist please. In art, there are no rules, boundaries or laws. So if we talk about professional artists, we talk about rules, boundaries or laws in artistic creations. You can’t define when art is professional or not. When some art reach out hundreds of humans and another only a few, it is still art and a creation of love. I don’t compare myself with other artist, because I must be happy with my own artistic creations.
5-What was your parent’s reaction?
.Like most artists knows. «You can’t live from that» or «Do something safe». But these reactions are the realities from them, who believe that. Their reality must be not my reality. I can create and design my own reality. In my world, it’s possible to earn money with art and also to live from art.
6-How did you come to understand that music was difficult for you to hear?
.Talent. Music is a part of me. It is already inside of me. Music comes from your inner world, not from outside. If you make your own music, you don’t need to hear actually. For me I have a hearing aid on my right, but even with that, music sounds not clear for me. So I need to experience music deeper and in another way. More with heart and soul.
7-You flourished in Germany! You are into marketing, programming and blogging! I look forward to saying more! What happened in Golden Berlin?
.I went to Germany when I started my own magazine «hearZONE» for the deaf and hard of hearing peoples in Germany and Switzerland. For around two and a half year I lived in Germany (Berlin and Essen). In that time, I learned a lot about media, coding, communication and marketing. This was an important experience for my future.
8-I want to know about HearZone!
.The magazine hearZONE became one of the biggest network for deaf and hard of hearing peoples in Germany and Switzerland. After four years of work, I selled the network an association for deaf and hard of hearing peoples in Switzerland. I also work there for more two years in deaf community and invent great projects there.
9-Tell us about your Dark Time, What happened?
.Everything was fine: great job, financial stability, relationship and so on. But one day I look outside the window during the work and saw all these peoples in hurry, walking through the city. I asked myself what I am doing here. Always I talked about music and how much I missed it. Then I started with handpan and the reactions of peoples around me were different. Mostly negative. So I quit everything in my old life and go on a new path of my life. The path of music.
10-Finally light overcame darkness; tell me about composing with Handpan. Tell me about bright spring 2019 in Zurich:
.When I started to busk at Zurich Lake, peoples react like they saw an amazing talent. First I couldn’t believe that I am that good. With time I realized my musical talent and the reactions from the peoples from the streets help me, to find back to my talent. My first songs get formed intuitively and listeners enjoyed it very much. A journey of creation and musical experience started since then.
11-All these sufferings and efforts led to the production of your first album. We are eager to know more about this.
.In August 2019 I recorded five songs for my first EP – all on my own. This summer 2020 I recorded a bigger album with more top songs and a mix between composition and improvisation by myself. My best songs are «Cycle», «Peace» and «Upside Down». All my music is also available on Spotify or Apple Music.
12- Can you become one part of the cultural movement for motivation in youth or new generations in your country and so on? --- No answer ---
13- How can you help our world become a better place to live?
.To live my dreams and just be me – then I am happy and if I am happy, the world is happy too!
14- Have you more words to say or suggest for our readers?
--- No answer---
https://jonashandpan.com/en/?fbclid=IwAR1A1xLGGMvKehFll6JuQ6zuWqIjPM67LcCrrcJHFFOyMwoG3haYUgWZPAw
