Latvian jazz personality and educational cornerstone
Indriķis Veitners: for the genre to develop, you need three things — a new generation, a place, and distribution
One of the cornerstones of jazz education in Latvia is Indriķis Veitners, who not only studies the history of Latvian jazz but has also been shaping it for several years. Currently, Indriķis is the head of the jazz department at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA). In his childhood already, he was dreaming of becoming the head of the jazz department, as well as of archaeology and history. Laughing, he mentions that a couple of times in his life, he happened to be in the right place at the right time. In the interview, Indriķis Veitners reveals why the Baltic jazz cruise was a culture shock for him, why he played the banjo, and why jazz musicians will always have to live on the edge.
I know that your family is closely connected to culture. What was your childhood like growing up among artists?
I grew up in a family where many were involved in creative pursuits. Additionally, my mother’s side represented the bohemian generation of the 1960s, who wrote poetry, read banned literature, and essentially embraced bohemianism — they were like hippies. Therefore, my childhood passed in a very bohemian atmosphere. I remember how poets would frequently visit my father. Despite all the bohemianism, they also talked about poetry; they all read books and were intelligent people — erudite and very well-versed in everything.
My grandmother and grandfather (Kārlis Veitners) were also involved in the art scene. My grandfather was a painter who studied at the Academy of Arts. He didn’t finish his studies because his diploma work was not accepted. However, he was still a member of the Artists’ Union and had several solo exhibitions. So, yes, I grew up in that environment. I knew everything from the inside and met interesting people who sometimes came to visit my grandfather for a cup of tea. It was possible to have conversations with them. My father had an extremely large circle of friends and acquaintances, so my entire childhood was associated with people coming from the world of art. I still have good relationships with many of them. For example, with the painter Juris Zvirbulis, who was a long-time friend of my father. We had an incredibly large number of books at home that we read. All of this deeply influenced me.
Did you want to professionally dedicate yourself to music already as a child?
I adore history, so in my childhood, I planned to become an archaeologist. I attended the 5th grade at what is now the Riga State German Gymnasium. Therefore, I learned German very well. I also attended music school because it was my mother’s idea that we should all have a music education. Yes, I did well, but I was a very shy guy and essentially did what I was told. I remember that Jānis Bērtiņš, who was my teacher in the fourth grade, said that I should go further. It was decided then, and I simply went with the flow.
How did you end up in the world of jazz?
I remember that very well. My first encounter with jazz was when we were living in a small apartment in Imanta. I was around five years old. I vividly remember listening to the radio show «For Jazz Music Lovers» [Džeza mūzikas mīļotājiem], led by Ivars Mazurs. Sitting under the table, I was listening and wondering what kind of madness was playing there. What a horror! Later on, things changed. My father had a large collection that I still keep. At some point, I started listening to jazz, and that’s how it all began.
Later, when I enrolled at the Mediņš Music School, during the first-year initiation ceremony, we were greeted by a brass ensemble. That was it! It clicked for me. I immediately wanted to play jazz. I went to talk to them, but they said the clarinetist position was already taken by Atis Asaris, who, by the way, is now an opera musician. In the end, they offered me to play the banjo. I just wanted to play. I didn’t really care what instrument it was. I got some terrible banjo that I played for a few years with the guys from the ensemble. We went to small concerts. It was a good time; I learned a lot. Then, I was offered to play the same dreaded banjo in Juris Mutulis’ (1943-2020) ensemble. He’s a Latvian jazz master who was looking for a new lineup. That’s how I ended up with Juris, whom I consider my jazz teacher. I played with him for quite some time — we even have a radio recording. But at some point, it became too much for me because I was also studying clarinet at the Music Academy and wanted to start playing the saxophone. So, the banjo, which is essentially a string instrument, became unnecessary. I had to make a choice!
Has jazz captivated you, and are you a fan of a single genre?
Of course, one can nurture a single genre, but my interests have never been confined solely to jazz. For instance, my generation, growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, listened to heavy metal music. I love bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. I grew up with Pink Floyd. This music is genuinely close to me. Yes, it’s not jazz, but I don’t see contradictions. I have a classical music education, which means I have delved deeply into classical music. And there’s nothing wrong with that! The more I live, the more I appreciate it. I greatly enjoy Bach and Beethoven’s piano concertos. Also Schubert. Romantic music appeals to me as well. I would say there are no contradictions between genres. The distinction between good and bad music is crucial. Academic music can be terrible, and pop music can be excellent.
In general, I was in The Beatles Fan Club. I would even say the opposite — diverse things have enriched me both as a musician and unequivocally as a person because diversity broadens perspectives. Even avant-garde music. It’s not about style but attitude. If you do it sincerely and with an honest attitude, if you put content into it, then everything is okay. You can even play trash metal — and it will be good! Because it will have meaning.
How did you transition from a musician’s career to teaching? Those are very different fields.
It happened naturally. I can only say that a couple of times in my life, I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. One of those times was in 1995. I had been playing for years with the old Radio big band when I was invited to participate in the annual meeting of the International Association of School of Jazz, which I knew nothing about. The Baltic States had recently regained independence, and the Danes decided to hold the meeting on a ship. It was like a Baltic jazz cruise, where one student from each Baltic country was invited. I had help getting there, and it was absolutely unbelievable. Basically, I went there without knowing English. I didn’t even know I was a «student». I was just invited to go somewhere. It turned out to be an amazing event – we spent two weeks on a ship. There were people from all over the world. I was placed together with students from Japan, England, America… from everywhere.
As we sailed around the Baltic Sea on that huge cruise, we ended our journey with a fantastic concert at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. We opened the festival with a specially written piece and Jeff Libman as the soloist. I was simply in shock. Firstly, I saw the whole system of how those schools are built; we had no idea about that. I actually learned to speak English there.
The second crucial moment was around the year 2000 when I enrolled in the Academy of Culture for a master’s degree in management. I was already thirty, and by that time, together with Juris Mutulis, we had formed a band. I realized I needed to study management. The only available program at that time was a joint project of the Latvian Academy of Culture and the Germans. In the beginning, I had to write a motivational letter. It went something like this: «I am a jazz musician, and there is no jazz education in Latvia.» Those German professors immediately asked, «What? You don’t have a jazz education? Why?» It turned out they were jazz fans. In fact, as a result of my master’s thesis, the Dome Choir School jazz department was established. Everything is just a series of coincidences and causal relationships.
How has the jazz scene in Latvia changed with the introduction of education?
I think it has changed tremendously because when we started, it was practically a very, very small community. We need to step back a bit in history. Latvian jazz has had very strong traditions, but politics very much influenced its development. During the Soviet era, the ruling Communist Party did not support jazz, so there was no continuity. There was a very strong Radio big band, but there were no environments where the genre could exist. For my generation, who came in during that time, we had to build everything from scratch. It was a huge problem; structurally, everything had to be built from the ground up. Due to previous policies, there were also no educational institutions for jazz in Latvia.
During this time, several new jazz generations have emerged. The first graduation was in 2005. Jazz was briefly in fashion. At that time, jazz really sounded everywhere. It was also the work of students – everyone wanted to play somewhere, it was stylish. That was a jazz wave. We traveled with students to the aforementioned International Association of School of Jazz meeting, and everyone wondered, «How can you earn a living with jazz? Nothing like that happens in Portugal, for example.» But it happened to us. Education created demand. If there is demand, there is supply, and musicians start to collaborate. Then, logically, the wave subsided, and now we are at the beginning of a new development again. Generations have changed, and the music is completely different. For example, when we founded the jazz department at the academy in 2008, the music was completely different from what it is now. Jazz changes; you always have to keep up with it.
Are you ready to change as well? Change the content of jazz programs?
We have a new program at the academy, and many things have been improved. We simply realized that we need to keep up with the times. If everyone used to talk about playing tradition, now the focus is on composition. For a genre to develop, you need three things: a new generation, a place, and distribution.
That’s the cool thing about jazz – the music is not stagnant; it’s alive and changes depending on what’s happening around it. That’s always been a big bonus for us musicians because you constantly have to survive. You always have to keep moving. You have to search, no one will just give you anything. Nothing comes on its own. You can’t just go to an orchestra like classical musicians in the morning and not think about it. I’m always forced to be sharp. Therefore, jazz is always changing. That’s why it’s still alive. If it weren’t for that, it would have died long ago. I hope for a more extensive presence of students on the international scene. I think the level and quality are very good; they are high-level musicians. I look forward to some great international success because all the prerequisites are there.