Both in England and in Germany Herman Vandecauter modeled his skills on great masters and pedagogues. Ancient plucked instruments are a specialty of his: the classical guitar, the theorbo-lute, the Neapolitan mandolin and the recently also the ukulele. His fascination for instrumental virtuosity, dynamism and emotion made for the development of his personal technique. Since 1973, Herman Vandecauter has given solos on plucked instruments and has accompanied poems and songs,not only in his native country but also in England, France, Germany, Malaysia and Spain, amongst others during the International Festival for Plectrum Instruments in Logroño. He has also been a freelance co-operator on the mandolin and the theorbo-lute both of the baroque orchestra Il Fondamento in their musical productions for the Festival of Flanders and of the opera of the Munt-schouwburg in Brussels. Creativeness stems from the discovery of an unhoped for richness of sound, a sound quality in which new frontiers are being explored. This is music, which, because of its dynamism and emotion, should be savored live.