Verena Rizzo (1994) is an italian musician/composer who did a master classical double bass at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. Verena resides in Het Bos in april and will perform on the 4th of May during the opening of Vruchtbare Grond.
Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
I am from the south of Italy, and this surely affects my music. In Naples there is indeed a strong tradition of folk music. Since My childhood I used to listen to this music and I have been always fascinated by the melodies. Growing up this music became my passion, and I started traveling around the smallest towns in the middle of nowhere to gather lyrics and sounds that are verbally transmitted trough the centuries. Having the fortune of a Father that builds music instruments, I have made it possible to have very traditional instruments as well. My compositions are very much influenced by my personal path.
Where do you find inspiration?
My main interest is into instrumental music. I have always been interested in music without lyrics, curious about how the sound could affect the listener without being influenced by the story that the lyrics can surely express in an easier way. With time I started playing my own music, combining all my instruments with the using of a loop station. I found My Inspiration In groups Like Balmoreha and Forest Swords. I like that with ambient music everyone can perceive the sounds regarding the memories and the mood, and I find this more likely to happen compared to other kind of music (Personal opinion)
How do you develop your art skills?
I love Improving my music skills. Having a background as a classical double bass player I have always seen music as a daily practice. I find technique not essential in music, as long as music makes the musician satisfied, no one should surely judge anyone else way of playing. Despite this, I have the classical musician mind set that allows me to spend hours on any kind of new instrument I have, but surely my ultimate goal is to explore sounds possibilities rather than technical skills. It means that for instance I like to experiment playing the guitar with the bow, and the double bass as a guitar.