However, upon graduating, he soon found that in order to get steady work, he had to play in a more popular context. In 1958, he joined the NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk, or North German Radio) big band. He also worked as a studio musician for many popular German recording acts like Bert Kaempfert.
After completing his studies, he found that to achieve consistent work, he needed to perform in a more prominent setting. He joined the NDR big band in 1958 and served as a studio musician for prominent German recording artists such as Bert Kaempfert.