About me

What it's really about

In the end, we all long for love and to be accepted. And because we have often experienced not being accepted as we are, we try to be someone we're not. We hide behind facades and protective walls.

I can come to Jesus just as I am. I don't have to change first, become “pious” or achieve anything. Least of all pretend, because he sees my heart as it really is. I am loved, and so are you! This love has changed my life, and it can change yours too. Talking to Jesus, praying, doesn't always change the circumstances of my life, but it often changes how I see them. With my music, books and talks I want to encourage others to get to know Jesus as Saviour and God as a loving Father. How could I stay silent after everything I have experienced? I simply have to sing about this incomprehensible love, and also about laments and worries.

Why a focus on praise and worship?

For one thing, the Bible calls us to it in many places. God wants to be worshipped: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23)

Worship focuses my heart on God's love, his greatness and almighty power. That encourages me and awakens gratitude in me, and a grateful heart makes life so much better. Worship songs help me to focus on God and feel closer to HIM, and I love taking others along on this journey.

My musical journey

I wrote my first song at the age of 16 at a regional youth festival. Today, more than 30 years later, I have many years of stage experience. From 1998 until it closed in 2018, I owned the Christian independent label “HOPE-MUSIC” and recorded several albums with various artists and choirs as a composer, songwriter and producer.

Since 2021 I'm back to the roots, writing songs for myself again, from praise and worship to gospel. I'm very happy that the single “Chainbreaker”, which I recorded with my wife Silke, is played by more and more radio stations around the world.

The path behind me would never have been possible without that very first song and my mentor at the time, Henry Bran from El Salvador. As we both sat there with our guitars at the youth festival, he said to me: “Stop playing songs from other artists all the time! You will always be compared with them. You don't have to sound like Michael Jackson. Just sound like Hagen and express yourself. Come on, write a song right now!” So I tried and wrote my first song. The lyrics were bumpy, and as if that wasn't excitement enough, he brought me on stage the next day and I had to sing it in front of 750 people.