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Column 10: Heartwarming

     

Heartwarming

During Amsterdam Dance Event, my modular synth was stolen. As I wrote in my previous column—a nightmare. It felt like a hard blow, but thanks to the overwhelming support from friends, fellow musicians, module builders, and donors through GoFundMe, I am now almost fully "up and running" again. I’ve rebuilt my case, not only with financial donations but also with various borrowed and gifted modules.  

Despite the generosity of these gifted modules, I soon realized that I truly needed the carefully selected modules I had originally chosen to rediscover my own sound. In the end, I decided to repurchase most of my old modules. A few I replaced with alternatives, as I had already been considering a change.  

The speed at which I managed to rebuild my system would not have been possible without the help of my modular partner, Raaf. His advice, support, and hands-on assistance were invaluable. We had a one-hour concert planned, and despite the theft, we decided to go through with it.  

Preparing for the concert within such a short timeframe brought moments of despair and uncertainty. The feeling that I would never be ready in time or reach the level I aimed for overshadowed the joy of being able to create again. But that same despair also fueled my strength and determination to keep going.  

During the concert, everything came together—the music, the emotions, and the incredible support I had experienced. It felt as if all the sadness, the moments of hopelessness, and the hard work had transformed into new energy.  

This experience not only gave me my music back but also renewed my confidence in myself and the people around me. It has inspired me to continue with even more joy and motivation, to perform more often, and to keep making music, all while looking back with deep gratitude at the heartwarming support from this incredible community.

Hartverwarmend

Tijdens Amsterdam Dance Event werd mijn modular synth gestolen. Zoals ik in mijn vorige column al schreef; een nachtmerrie. Het voelde als een harde klap, maar dankzij de overweldigende steun van vrienden, collega-muzikanten, modulebouwers en donateurs via GoFundMe ben ik bijna volledig "up and running." Ik heb mijn case opnieuw opgebouwd, niet alleen met financiële donaties, maar ook met diverse geleende en geschonken modules.

Ondanks de ontvangen modules kwam ik erachter dat ik toch echt de voorheen door mijzelf met zorg geselecteerde modules nodig had om mijn eigen geluid terug te vinden. Uiteindelijk heb ik besloten om de meeste van mijn oude modules opnieuw te kopen. Een paar heb ik vervangen door alternatieven, want daar twijfelde ik al langer over.
De snelheid waarmee ik mijn systeem heb herbouwd, had ik niet kunnen bereiken zonder de hulp van mijn modular partner Raaf. Zijn advies, steun en praktische hulp waren onmisbaar. We hadden een concert van een uur gepland staan en ondanks de diefstal hebben besloten dat door te laten gaan.  

De voorbereiding op het concert in een kort tijdsbestek bracht momenten van wanhoop en onzekerheid met zich mee. Het gevoel dat ik nooit op tijd klaar zou zijn of mijn gewenste niveau zou bereiken overschaduwde de vreugde van het opnieuw kunnen creëren. Maar diezelfde wanhoop gaf me ook kracht en vastberadenheid om door te gaan. 

Tijdens het concert kwam alles samen: de muziek, de emoties, en de ongelooflijke steun die ik heb ervaren. Het voelde alsof de verdrietige momenten, de tranen van wanhoop en alle harde inspanningen samen tot nieuwe energie leidden.
Deze ervaring gaf me niet alleen mijn muziek terug, maar ook een hernieuwd vertrouwen in mezelf en de mensen om me heen. Het heeft me geïnspireerd om met nog meer plezier en motivatie door te gaan, vaker op te willen treden en muziek te maken, terwijl ik met veel dankbaarheid terugkijk op de hartverwarmende steun van deze bijzondere community.



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