From Musician to Producer

Shoot The Moon Music is the creative home of Dutch musician, songwriter, and producer Tjeerd van Zanen. Operating across songwriting, music production, television scoring, and his indie label STM Records, Tjeerd personally guides artists, songwriters, and performers. He combines these disciplines to help creators develop impactful songs and records that connect with audiences across borders and generations.

With more than 45 years of experience in the music industry, Tjeerd has built a reputation as a versatile guitarist, songwriter, engineer and producer. His work spans rock, pop, fusion and contemporary music, combining strong songwriting with a deep understanding of artist development and record production.

Over the course of his career, he has written and co-written songs for Dutch and international artists, including multiple entries for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has collaborated with artists such as Ilse DeLange, André Hazes and Yves Berendse.

Career highlights (shown below in this section) include co-founding the acclaimed fusion band Back To Basic and The Auratones, contributing to the jazz-pop project Ugly White Belly, and serving as programme director of the iconic Vrienden van Amstel LIVE concert series from 2000 to 2007.

Alongside his work in the studio, Tjeerd has shared his expertise as a lecturer in songwriting and music production at Codarts University of the Arts Rotterdam and ArtEZ University of the Arts Enschede, helping shape the next generation of music professionals.

Whether working with established artists or emerging talent, Tjeerd’s focus remains the same: creating authentic music with lasting impact.