1. Studied pop and jazz at the Artez Conservatory in Enschede  (2002-2007).
2. Majored in guitar and minored in bassguitar.
   
3. Started playing at age 16.
4. Teaches guitar and bass.

When he was just a boy Laurenz would sometimes lock himself up in his room and take his casetteplayer to play his favourite songs (e.g. Human Nature – Michael Jackson, Peace in the Valley – Elis, or songs from the Tour of Duty soundtrack like Riders on the Storm – The Doors). Sometimes his parents would be wondering what he had been doing all that time he was locked away.Laurenz Thenu was born in a musical family in 1980. He is the second youngest and only son of five children! His father played the drums in church and his mother performed as a singer in different groups. All his sisters loved singing and making/ listening music. Laurenz would often dread the fact that when he wanted to watch Star Trek The Next Generation, his sisters would not let him, because Whitney or Mariah was on MTV…Argh…if i wanted to dance with somebody then i would have said so! His parents had a huge record collection of very diverse music such as the Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Second Chapter of Acts, Glenn Miller and and various jazz albums. The list goes on!

At the age 15 he began singing in a gospel choir called Metanoia, but it wasn’t untill a year later he started playing guitar. He taught himself a few old school churchsongs and later on took lessons from Rene Schermer, who let him substitute in some gypsy jazz gigs. He played in a several bands doing pop/ cover music. Laurenz let the instrument and making music rest for a few years, when he tried his luck in the Army. No such luck;-). It wasn’t untill he was admitted to the Artez Popacademy Enschede in 2002, that he really had the chance to play a lot in different groups and in different styles of music.

Besides studying popguitar, he also gained more knowledge about improvising, which has always been a strong interest on the instrument. In 2004 he took up playing bass as well and was able to do a minor course in bassguitar. Laurenz has performed as a bassist in groups such as Project ’49, LeFinch and D-friends and as a guitarist in Papillion, Join Dilaja, Jazz.nl, Eastwest, Impulse Traveller, GIG, D-Friends and others groups.  2008 Laurenz was a castmember of the “Ruth Jacott straalt met Kerst tour”. He sang tenor in the choir and played acoustic guitar.

Overzicht projecten
Enkele projecten waar Laurenz aan heeft meegewerkt zijn
2009 Convocation Big band, Steffen Morrison,Dewi’s Jam, maandelijks terugkerende jam in hartje Amsterdam (als gitarist of basgitarist), Mia Silvas, zusje van Lucia Silvas (als begeleidende gitarist in duoformatie)
2008 Ruth Jacott Kersttour (als backingvocal + gitaar)
2006-2007 Project ’49 11 koppige black gospelband (als bassist)
2007-2008 MaryDavisJr, nusoul van eigen bodem (als bassist)
2004-2005 Gig, coverband (als gitarist/backingvocalist)
2004-2006 Join Dilaja (fusion band met o.a bassist Jonathan Ihlenfeld Cuniado)
1995-1997 Metanoia, gospelkoor (als tenor)

Opleiding:
2007-2009 Interactieve Media HvA
2006-2007 Artez Messiean Academie (2e Fase).
2002-2006 Artez Popacademie, onderdeel van het Artez Conservatorium. Diploma behaald
1998-1999 Vooropleiding Jazz Conservatoium Groningen
1996-1998 Gitaar priveles Rene Schermer
Laurenz heeft les gehad en workshops gevolgt bij:
Arnold van Dongen, Glenn Corneille, Rogier van Wegberg, Danny Sahupala, Ruud Ouwehand, Michel van Schie, Leendert Haaksma, Marcel Visser, Davy de Wit, Jeroen Vierdag, Mike Keneally, Scott Henderson.