Biography
"To me, great music is individual, multi-dimensional and educational”, says singer-songwriter, drummer and producer Alex Schaetzing. His lyrics are known for rich imagery and cinematic storytelling, while his Schubert-inspired melodies and haunting chord changes evoke romanticism. Though interested in virtually any style of music, Alex cites Steely Dan, Al Stewart, Sting, Billy Joel, The Eagles and Tom Waits as his main influences. Merging elements from folk, rock, world and classical music into his own eclectic style, he is notorious for his meticulous research and craftsmanship. Alex usually frames his rich baritone with a warm all-acoustic instrumentation. Besides being a professional drummer, he is a capable multi-instrumentalist who plays acoustic guitar, bass, percussion, keyboard, violin, cello, and a few other instruments. As a session musician and producer, he lends his talents to national and international artists.
Growing up in Munich, Germany, Alex went to a performing arts school where he received training in music, creative writing, poetry, acting and painting since an early age. In addition, he took cello lessons with Joachim Keller and later Thomas Klein for several years. The Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night" inspired him to start singing and playing the guitar. Aged fourteen, he was writing his own songs and took drum set lessons at a local music school with drummer/composer Stephan Wildfeuer. Encouraged by piano-prodigy classmates Julian Riem and Jakob Fichert, he joined Fritz Moscher’s orchestra as a timpanist and became one of the main attractions at concerts and tours. Performing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" made a lasting impression on Alex, who had always been fascinated with American culture. He became increasingly interested in the vibrant Munich jazz scene and started performing with local musicians, including members of the group “Zauberberg”.
After studying music pedagogy and musicology at LMU University Munich for one year, Alex enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he studied drum set with Jon Hazilla, Jackie Santos and Ron Savage. The cultural diversity at the college proved to be an ideal creative environment for Alex as he established himself as a sought-after drummer for live shows and recording sessions for artists from all over the world. In 1996, he formed the band “Aristos” with clarinetist/composer Enrico Cerretti and performed at numerous East Coast venues, live radio broadcasts and cable television shows. On the side, Alex started performing and recording his own material with luminaries such as Aquilles Baez, Wolfgang Roggenkamp, Akiko Grace, Rachel Panay, and Sylvia Gordon.
In 1998, Alex graduated from Berklee with a degree in Music Business/Management and moved back to Germany where he worked as a drummer and composer. He spent the summer of '99 in England, attending two courses at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. The following year, he moved back to Boston to major in songwriting at Berklee. Studying with top teachers like Pat Pattison, Jon Aldrich and Grayson Hugh encouraged Alex to develop his individual songwriting style and break away from clichés and contrived formulas. During visits to Nashville, TN, Alex had the chance to work with producer Larry Beaird and some of the finest studio musicians in the United States. As a member of the jazz/blues band “Concrete Canyon” and the rock group “Firetrap” he played live shows all over New England.
He founded his own Pro Tools-based recording studio and independent record label, Vagrant Gleam Music. After graduating magna cum laude from Berklee in 2002, Alex released his older songs on two albums, “Seaside” (2001) and “Danger in the Sky” (2003). Alex continued expanding his profile by recording and performing with acclaimed artists such as Kizzy Getrouw, Vladimir Shukin, Therese Ulvan and Marina Elali. In 2005, Alex joined forces with talented musicians to form the progressive rock trio “Henna”. His upcoming acoustic album “Keep the Light Burning” has been in the works for three years and promises to take his status to a whole new level. Stay tuned…
Read more...