Who I am
I am Jornt-Jan Bras, music composer for theater and culture. I write music for directors and companies that have developed a story and have a concrete plan in place — music that carries that story. I am a drummer, theater technician, and builder of musical installations, and you can hear that combination reflected in everything I create.

Who I work for
For the director who has finished telling their story and realizes: this needs music. At that moment, I step in — as a composer, and as a creator who helps think about what the piece needs.

Where I come from
It started with drumming. During my pop music studies, I noticed that I enjoy making things even more than just playing, and that has been the trajectory ever since: composing for theater, my own solo project with electronic music, and a Master’s in Music. I pick up the skills required for creation along the way — I had to build a cart, so I learned to weld. And I have always continued experimenting with drums as a control instrument: I use drum pads to control samples, synthesizers, video, and lighting. And so, alongside music, a second profession was added: lighting in clubs and at festivals, followed by theater technology and my first stage manager role on tour. And so, since 2006, I have been building musical installations: eight motorized snare drums for my graduation project, a video drum installation in which I drummed to images from the city, and sixteen sounding jerrycans that hung in the Kunsthal.

How I work
I compose based on the story and contribute as a creator. If it makes the piece stronger, I play along myself — physically, because that is something an audience engages with. At Orkater, I composed the music, chose the drums, and toured along myself, while also controlling other sound sources from behind the drum kit using drum pads. And because I spent years on the floor as a technician and stage manager, I know what is technically possible, what a tour week demands, and how music behaves in a venue. What I write also works in practice.

What characterizes me
I simply derive pleasure from creating, and I want to share that. What I create has to evoke something: joy, energy, wonder — so that an audience looks at me the way I used to look up as a child and think: wow, fantastic.

Work that stuck with you
The music and drumming for Orkater, with which I toured myself. The jerrycan installation that hung in the Kunsthal. And the reactions of people who had never seen anything like it in that way before.

Contact
Are you working on a performance that requires music? Send me a message, and I will help you think about what your story needs.

Frequently Asked Questions
At what point do I bring Jornt in?

As soon as your story has been developed and there is a concrete plan. From that point on, I write the music that carries the story and contribute ideas as a creator.

Does Jornt perform in the show himself?

If it makes the piece stronger, yes — physically, on stage, like behind the drum kit with Orkater. I tour along if it serves the work.
Does Jornt-Jan also create his own work?
Yes. Since 2006, I have been building musical installations in which music, rhythm, and imagery come together — from motorized snare drums to a sound installation that hung in the Kunsthal. I am currently continuing to build on that.