 At 22, he served his year of military duty and returned to teach music at Etterbeek until 1932, as conductor program director for the Belgian broadcasting company, N.I.R.In 1934, he won the composition contest for the official march of the 1935 Brussels World Exposition.He founded the Schaarbeek High School Choir in 1940 and won a composition contest for one hit wonder songs three years later.