I have to admit that the fact that Mazze Wiesner got a four-judge buzz on “The Voice of Germany” left me less impressed than baffled: I had never seen the show before. I was still unfamiliar with buzzers (even though I’d taken buzzer lessons) —but Mazze Wiesner, who got all four judges on the 2021 reality show to buzz for him, didn’t even need a win to forge his own path. And that path led him from a musically inclined home—where he was encouraged to learn all sorts of instruments—to a cute little blue Mickey Mouse drum set, which he used (in front of the TV) accompanied Phil Collins (on TV, of course, but actually at the Waldbühne in Berlin). The concert took place on July 15, 1990, so it’s been pretty much exactly 36 years now.
From his Mickey Mouse days, Mazze Wiesner—now 41—has systematically worked his way up. And sung his way up, too. And—played—the piano, guitar, and bass. “I’m a multi-instrumentalist!” he states—all self-taught, thanks to his musical family background. But still, his family wanted the boy to learn a solid trade. So after graduating from high school, he initially enrolled in dental school. But just six weeks into his studies, he got an offer from a band: they were looking for a drummer for their tour. The money he earned was already enough for more than one slice of toast a week—and when the keyboardist fell ill, Mazze was able to step in. Or fill in for the ailing guitarist—and he could sing, too! In short: Dr. Wiesner never became a dentist; he dropped out of school—and instead, opting for something a bit closer to real-world practice, decided to study education with a focus on music education, which he successfully completed (“that’s when I got my yodeling diploma!”).
