We checked in with Beyond the Black and Serenity guitar player, Christian Hermsdörfer, to talk all things music, songwriting and Toontrack!

To start with, how did you discover music and how come you ended up playing the guitar?
My first step into music was accordion lessons back when I was six years old, as my grandmother was playing that instrument and inspired me to do so as well. When I was ten or eleven years old, I switched to keyboard and piano, as my taste of music also changed more to rock. With this instrument, I also founded my first band when I was 12. After a short period of spending time in our rehearsal room, we already got severals shows each year. Both on and off stage, I got more and more “bored” with playing the keys, so I asked our guitarist if he could lend me his guitar setup while he was on vacation with his family. When he came back, I could play almost all of our songs on rhythm guitar and knew that “this is my instrument!” So, I took all money I‘d saved and bought my first own guitar setup.

Currently, you’re in both Serenity and Beyond the Black. Tell us more about your musical career leading up to you joining these bands!
Everything started with my first school “tribute band” in which I played when I was 12-19. Afterwards, I changed to the professional tribute band business (which is pretty big in Germany) and played over 80 shows a year until I was 26. Then, I finally found my way to “free” my creativity and start playing on the stages of the world as I got the request to play in the band Visions of Atlantis. As that band and Serenity always have been Austrian label mates, there has been a close relationship and at a point, Serenity asked me if I could imagine to play also with them. As the plans of Visions of Atlantis changed and got away from what I had in mind, I left them and put all my focus on Serenity until I got a call from Beyond the Black about joining them. Of course, I was in!

How do you juggle being two touring bands? How much planning is involved and what happens in the occasion that schedules clash?
When I was joining Beyond the Black, it was clear it was a priority, but on the other hand I never wanted to quit Serenity. We have such a long history together, which makes it way more than just another common band project. But also the structure inside of Serenity has changed a bit during the last five years. With that, and the fact that we agreed to have two guitar players, the whole “juggling” became way easier for me as I always said to the guys in Austria that I never want to block shows or the band itself. So, what I still can give in terms of composing, managing and performing to Serenity besides Beyond the Black, I do.

You have charted with lots of your albums (in fact, all Beyond the Black records!), toured the world, played the biggest festivals and won awards. If you look back on your musical journey, what are some of the absolute highlights so far for you personally?
I am super honored, happy and grateful for being able to experience all of that and to be on this musical journey in life. It was always a dream to make a living from music, and since 20 years I can live that dream. But, of course, I am still on that path – and as a never resting person I think I will never stop to walk (which is anyway the best thing you can do, because a quote tells that “stagnation is regression“). So, there‘s a lot to enjoy, experience, to reach and many stages left to perform on. The greatest thing about a creative job that you can always explore something new!

You’re also currently working on your solo project Fallen After Midnight. What will that sound like compared to your other bands?
Fallen After Midnight is one of those many things on my bucket list I always wanted to do. A musical place where I can do whatever I love to without any distractions. That means it‘s a musical journey like my own journey as musician. That’s why Fallen After Midnight should not be a regular “solo project” – it’s created as an anime series in which a band called “Fallen After Midnight“ is on their own journey in a world where bands are battling to become the greatest band of all (like the Pokémon concept, just with more of a rock ’n’ roll spirit). And you can join the process of the music and become a part of the story in joining my Fallen After Midnight Patreon.

In addition to all of this, you’re running your own music school. Tell us more!
Germany is not a country in which you feel supported in becoming musician. Of course, it is always a chance or risk to choose a career as a musician, but I think there are countries this is better supported. Also, I was always into giving your own knowledge to others, because just with this behavior you can help people becoming better in what they love to do. So, both facts were the reason why I founded the music school concept “Learn to Rock“ – an open-minded, modern and unconventional place to get taught instruments, vocals and everything that has to do to music. As the school concept is created as franchise, we are inviting everyone interested in founding a music school to talk to us and becoming part of our community.

What is the most rewarding part of making music for you? Is it the actual writing process, recording and refining the songs in the studio or taking them to the stage? Or all of them?
Of course it’s all of them, but it’s changing from time to time within these elements of being musician. Nowadays, as father and a person who loves his family and enjoys being at my wonderful home, close to his beloved wife and kids, it’s a great thing to sit in my studio and create stuff without having to travel somewhere. But then, there are times when you can’t wait to bring all of your new creations to stage, feel the energy of live music, your performances, the reactions of the crowds and the adrenaline pumping in your body.

Walk us through your creative process and where Toontrack’s gear comes into play!
I think my first contact was the release of EZdrummer 1. Since that day, I cannot imagine one day without the drum products of Toontrack or tons of the other stuff you are creating since decades. So, often I am sitting there and need an inspiration for a guitar riff, or a basic structure to write a cool vocal hook and two or three clicks later I have found what I was looking for thanks to one of easiest workflows on the music plug-in scene. I love plugins where I can find the things I need pretty fast. No strange names for sounds, no crazy look – just plug-ins that do what you have expected of them. That’s why Toontrack are always with me – wherever and whenever I want to create music, they are with me!

What’s next on your agenda?
We are currently sitting in the studio and working on the next musical chapter of Beyond the Black. Besides that, I take every minute and creative moment to bring my solo project Fallen After Midnight to life. For Serenity, there’s new music in the making… So, to sum up, never rest when the creative flow is running. So, stay tuned for many fresh tunes coming soon!

Beyond the Black “Reincarnation”

Serenity “Ritter Tod und Teufel (Knightfall)”