MC with a musical touch
Tone of voice
Music isn’t just about the melody. It’s about the tone. The timbre that determines how something resonates.
You can expect a moderator tone. Now imagine actually adding musical notes to that tone. It creates atmosphere and enjoyment. But it also adds substance, because music can shed a fresh and original light on your conference theme. So it is not just entertainment, but an extra layer of meaning.
A master of ceremonies who also plays the piano can make your event truly memorable.
- I don’t just keep the programme on track, I set the tone
Musical Master of Ceremonies
A programme is easy enough to put together. A day people still talk about tomorrow, that takes a craft. As Master of Ceremonies, I weave live music through the entire programme, not as a nice interlude, but as the thread that sharpens the theme of your conference.
- Professional MC, music as a tool
- Connects content, energy and structure
- One flat fee: 3,950 excl. VAT
Experience as
Master of Ceremonies
When you think of a musical moderator, you might picture a lively atmosphere, high energy, and plenty of fun. And rightly so. Yet music only becomes truly compelling through contrast: high and low, fast and slow, loud and soft.
The same applies to a skilled moderator. So, don’t just expect a bundle of energy behind the grand piano; anticipate quiet moments, incisive interviews, and thoughtful reflections, too. It is precisely that contrast that strikes the right chord.
Becoming a professional moderator doesn’t happen overnight. Like being a musical speaker, it is a specialized craft. I completed the ‘Successful Moderator’ training course offered by the Nederlands Debat Instituut, led by Donatello Piras and Roderik van Grieken. Since then, I have moderated events for large audiences at venues such as the NBC (for Procurement Day) and the Beatrix Theater (for the Fundraising Conference).
What can you expect?
Before, during and after the day, I’m above all your problem solver. If the programme runs differently than planned, I make sure the room never notices. I bring that same problem-solving eye to three areas: structure, focus and atmosphere. Drawing on my experience as a musical speaker on collaboration and leadership, and as an MC on stage, here’s what I watch:
Structure
How does the day fit together, and is the time being watched closely? Even when the programme shifts, I keep an overview.
Focus
Does every idea actually serve the goal of the day? I help think things through, and I’m just as quick to cut something as to add it.
Atmosphere
Does everyone feel involved and at ease? Music gives the day rhythm, keeps the room sharp, and adds just the right amount of fun.
A MC for your event
Who is this intended for?
Musical Master of Ceremonies is ideal for events where content matters: annual conferences of trade associations, public sector gatherings, conferences in healthcare, education, and knowledge organizations, and corporate events such as leadership days or customer appreciation days. From an intimate session to a packed venue like the Beatrix Theater: any event that wants that little bit extra has come to the right place.
Not the pianist who happens to MC
What makes Musical Master of Ceremonies unique?
Plenty of MCs are strong on structure and overview. Plenty of musicians can liven up a conference. I’m not simply the sum of those two. Music, for me, isn’t a nice interlude between speakers, it’s the tool I use to make the theme of your day land in a different way.
Collaboration is listening, tuning in and playing together. Change is finding a new tempo. Leadership is the question of who sets the beat. Where words sometimes fall short, a chord can make what’s really going on instantly felt. That’s not a musical joke thrown in for fun, it’s thought through in advance, and it’s exactly why clients book me rather than simply a pianist.
I’d rather not be the one in the spotlight. A conductor makes no sound at all, yet makes sure every voice comes into its own. That’s how I see my role as MC too. I do enjoy applause, I won’t deny that, but the best compliment I get is when people say afterwards that the conference itself stole the show, and that I just happened to be playing along.
A programme is a set of separate parts: an opening, a few speakers, a break, drinks afterwards. I turn that into one story, with music as the link between the blocks. Not an extra layer of glitter, but the way a day starts to click.
Musical MC
What does it deliver?
An unforgettable event
The combination of chairing and live music makes a programme surprising, and gives people something to talk about the next day.
Instant connection
Music opens and connects from the very first note. No warm-up round needed, the room is switched on right away.
Room for the unexpected
Does the programme run differently than planned? A musical MC reads the room flawlessly and plays along live, quite literally.
A positive atmosphere
Do your guests leave the room singing? Then you know: the day was a success.
Nicolaas has previously set the tone at
Chosen by
As a musical speaker, he inspires teams to collaborate & lead, to better align, play together, and grow in harmony.
Listen, watch, read
Sound & Thought
Music is a language. A language that touches you, even without knowing the words or rules. A language that sets things in motion and connects people, just like collaboration and leadership do. That’s why, as a musical speaker on collaboration & leadership, I use this most beautiful language there is.
Be inspired by my blogs, podcasts and videos, full of musical insights for teams and leaders.
