The movie
Music Film Festival: Talkshow met Tom America
Tom America: Language that swings & music that touches. Interview with Tilburg composer/musician Tom America about his work, his favorite film music + live performance of brand new work.
Length: 90 min
Country: Nederland
Language spoken: Nederlands
Language subtitles:
Cast:
Director:
Release date: 21/09/2025
Description
Tom America: Language that swings & music that touches. Interview with Tilburg composer/musician Tom America about his work, his favorite film music + live performance of brand new work.
Composer and musician Tom ‘Sammie’ America has been a prominent voice in the Dutch music world for decades. What started in the 80s with the punk band Gasphetti quickly grew into the experimental music collective MAM. With MAM America brought his fascination for the melody of the Dutch language/speech to life. According to him, Dutch is a language that “swings enormously in a bumpy way” — and you can hear that in his unique compositions in which spoken word, rhythm and sound merge.
After MAM, America turned his back on pop music and focused on more complex music projects. Often at the intersection of music and visual arts. For example, for the La Grande Parade project by Henk Hofstede (The Nits), he created the now cult song Maternité for Picasso’s painting Maternité (“Mom, do you remember when I ate a cheese sandwich?). And now – in his latest work – he uses the images and words of artist Paul Bogaers as a starting point.
When Bogaers recently told his friend Tom that he didn’t know what to do next (“Yes, I’m stuck”), a new collaboration unexpectedly arose. Tom started working with texts, images and interviewed Bogaers to obtain vocal material. With all that, he composed layered, subtle music to go with it.
During the Music Film Festival, visitors will get an exclusive preview of this project. In an intimate setting in Filmtheater Cinecitta, Tom America will perform a number of these new pieces live, accompanied by Bogaers’ film images.
Beforehand, we will talk to Tom about his rich career. From De Mus to Delphine – and ask him: what really makes film music good, or completely misplaced?
A unique opportunity to experience one of the Netherlands’ most idiosyncratic composers up close.
Composer and musician Tom ‘Sammie’ America has been a prominent voice in the Dutch music world for decades. What started in the 80s with the punk band Gasphetti quickly grew into the experimental music collective MAM. With MAM America brought his fascination for the melody of the Dutch language/speech to life. According to him, Dutch is a language that “swings enormously in a bumpy way” — and you can hear that in his unique compositions in which spoken word, rhythm and sound merge.
After MAM, America turned his back on pop music and focused on more complex music projects. Often at the intersection of music and visual arts. For example, for the La Grande Parade project by Henk Hofstede (The Nits), he created the now cult song Maternité for Picasso’s painting Maternité (“Mom, do you remember when I ate a cheese sandwich?). And now – in his latest work – he uses the images and words of artist Paul Bogaers as a starting point.
When Bogaers recently told his friend Tom that he didn’t know what to do next (“Yes, I’m stuck”), a new collaboration unexpectedly arose. Tom started working with texts, images and interviewed Bogaers to obtain vocal material. With all that, he composed layered, subtle music to go with it.
During the Music Film Festival, visitors will get an exclusive preview of this project. In an intimate setting in Filmtheater Cinecitta, Tom America will perform a number of these new pieces live, accompanied by Bogaers’ film images.
Beforehand, we will talk to Tom about his rich career. From De Mus to Delphine – and ask him: what really makes film music good, or completely misplaced?
A unique opportunity to experience one of the Netherlands’ most idiosyncratic composers up close.
