This week, the percussionist and conductor Benjamin Schäfer talks to us about life, joy, and marching to the beat of your own drum.

How big is the percussion family? What does “percussiveness” actually mean? When does noise become sound? Do percussionists sometimes get bored and why do they make such good conductors?



In this heartfelt episode, we meet the man who has been beating the Luxembourg Philharmonic’s heart for 16 years. From snare drums to church bells, Benjamin Schäfer tells us about the ever-expanding diversity that makes up his instrument family before moving on to his two human families, the Luxembourg Philharmonic and the Orchestre de la Place de l’Europe, the Philharmonie’s amateur orchestra and the reason why he gets to switch the mallets for the conducting stick every Monday evening. He then sends Dianne and Eva off to dive into a stirring mix ranging from romantic ballet to circus music.