Jon's journey with percussion began in the late 1980's. After buying a darabuka in Cairo, Jon initially learned through playing with musicians he met during his travels.

Jons tabla tuition began in Cardiff with Harjinder Singh Matharu from Birmingham. Harjinder gave Jon a good solid foundation in tabla playing between 1994 - 1998 as well as the encouragement & inspiration to commit himself seriously to the instrument.

In 1994 / 1995 , Jon returned to India where he learned from Shivanand Bhandari at the Naadashree Arts Institute in Kumta, Karnataka, India.

In 1998 & 1999, Jon returned to India and studied with Kailash Nishad in Benares, (Varanasi) in North India, a city renowned for the study of North Indian (Hindustani) music.

In 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2005 Jon organised performances & workshops for Kailash in the UK, where he delivered workshops in universities & performed Tabla solos at Arts Centres & venues in the South West UK. During these month long visits to the UK, Kailash stayed with Jon in Devon and continued Jon's tabla tuition. They also gave performances together, with Taaliqa playing the first set & Kailash performing tabla solo in the second. In 2005 they also gave a collaborative performance. Hear recordings from one of these performances here

Kailash's teaching and playing has been a major influence to Jons own playing.

Jons other musical studies include completing a BA ( Hons ) Music degree at Dartington College of Arts in 2000, where his main subject was in composing for live performance.

Jon continues to learn and develop as a musician and percussionist through his own practice and playing, and through his musical collaborations with the talented musicians that he works with.

Collaborations with theatre and dance companies:

In 1997 Jon was the musical director for a project with East Glamorgan Polytechnic on a piece performed at Glastonbury festival.

In 2007 Jon worked as the musical director for Attik Dance company, based in Plymouth, on the 'Clean Sweep" project which was performed across the South West UK.

Jon has also collaborated a number of times with dancers at the 'In The Flesh' events held at the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth, using live percussion sampling.

Jons music often explores combining rhythmic ideas and techniques between different instruments and musical forms. This he continues to do, alongside combining these with technology through computer based recording and live sampling performances.

He performs with various artists and groups including multi instrumental duo Taaliqa, the duo Tandj , based on South Indian devotional music, as well as Indian classical music with sitar player Ricky Romain, and 'Drumscapes' - his unique solo multi-percussion live sampling performances. ( see Live sampling page)

" . . .The brilliant sitar of Ricky Romain in duet with Jon Sterckx's tabla wizardry was a first class example of musicians "playing off" each other, their evident joy never becoming indulgent, and never compromising the aims of the music. . . ." - Colin Sell.

"Talented percussionist Jon Sterckx was outstanding on tabla, and a longer solo from him would have been welcome"- Pippa Howell Festival Review

"Thanks so much for playing at our night for RESPECT - I thought you were amazing - a hypnotic, almost trance-inducing performance..." - Sound Gallery, Exeter.

Jon performs in arts centres, music venues, festivals etc. as well as private events such as parties, weddings, functions etc. throughout Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Wales & across the South West, and is available for performances & workshops throughout the UK.

Instruments played: tabla, tabla tarang, darrabouka, daf, cajon, riq, udu, mouth harps, djembe, shakers, woodblocks etc.