Today at 07:30 • Updated today at 08:02
The neoclassical piano music by Jeroen Granneman from Berkel-Enschot is a silent hit worldwide. His self-composed songs have now been listened to more than 50 million times on Spotify. “I could never have imagined this five years ago,” says the piano teacher.
Almost four years ago, Jeroen put his very first song online. “That was White Butterfly,” he recalls. The neoclassical piece was quickly picked up and ended up in the largest playlist for classical piano music on Spotify. “Within six months I already had more than ten million streams,” he says.
That popularity brought with it the necessary changes, although Jeroen kept both feet on the ground. “I can still walk the streets,” he laughs when the conversation turns to his fame. “But I often get nice reactions from people who know my music.”
He recently performed in De Schalm, the socio-cultural center of Berkel-Enschot. “I didn’t think people would want to listen to my music for an hour, but it turned out to be a success. Someone came to me and said that my music gave her so much peace. That is very nice to hear.”
“I have listeners from all over the world.”
The positive reactions do not only come from his own village. “I have listeners from all over the world. New Zealand, other countries in Europe, but also America,” says Jeroen. “I recently received a message from a piano teacher from the United States. It was a video of her students practicing with my music. I think that’s cool.”
In recent years, Jeroen has increasingly focused on composing. “I teach piano, but I have started doing that less recently. I have started performing more often and focusing more on making music.” The fact that he teaches less is partly possible due to the income from his streams. “You certainly gain something from it. It allows me to make different choices and I am a lot less dependent on teaching.”
“This way I appeal to the widest possible audience.”
Jeroen still puts his music online and now has several Spotify profiles: for his own compositions, for children’s songs and for pop covers. “This way I appeal to the widest possible audience.”
He deliberately leaves it open as to what happens next. “I try not to look too much into the future. I let it go and see what happens next.”
