Political scientist Pieter Sloot does not see himself end up working at a bank or a multinational. He would rather continue in the music industry. This year, the Master's student is coordinator of the Nijmegen edition of the travelling music festival the Popronde. ‘Sometimes I keep going by the skin of my teeth.’

How did you end up at the Popronde?

‘In 2019 and 2020 I was a board member of Cultuur op de Campus. There I met Rico Neeter, production coordinator at Popronde Netherlands. In addition to my board year, I volunteered at Popronde and other places. That is how I became coordinator this year.’

What do you do?

‘I am the link between the locations and the artists. Among other things, that means I get a gigantic list of musicians which I need to attach to locations in Nijmegen. That is an enormous puzzle.’

What kind of event is Popronde?

‘Popronde is about discovering new musicians. We try to have a as diverse possible programme each year, from guitar bands to hip-hop. This year, for example, we have the metal band Radeloos // Ziedend, who will play in tapas restaurant Lume!. BARTH, a neoclassical pianist, will perform in the House of the Nijmegen History. Another scoop is the queer stage in the Mariënburg. But this is just a small selection of the programme.’

Can you combine setting up a festival with your studies?

‘Sometimes I keep going by the skin of my teeth, but it is doable. So far, I have obtained all my EC. I also play in the band Cloudsurfers. In April, we did 13 shows, for example. Because of that, I did all my study work in March. So you do need to be able to plan well.’

How do you see your future?

‘I learned a lot from my study programme, but I would rather continue in the music industry. I don’t see myself working at places where fellow students end up. Many of them go work as a consultant for companies such as the Rabobank, for example. In that case, I’d rather keep busy with scheduling anarchistic punk bands.’

Translated by Jan Scholten.