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Marco is a Dutch singer/songwriter, entrepreneur, designer and music-producer currently living in Zeist (Utrecht), The Netherlands. Born in the town of Best, in the south of Holland, he lived with his parents and younger sister at various places in Holland and Belgium, with steady intervals of 2 years, until moving to Spain at age 14, to Hong Kong at a 16, and back to Europe to live by himself at age 18 (France). In Hong Kong Marco joined ‘The Dregs’ as rhythm-guitarist, and a few years later, in France, formed a new band called ‘Lyrique’, together with 2 friends from Madagascar, as leadsinger and rhythm- and bass-guitarist. “Even today I’ve absolutely no idea how in the world I managed to play both bass and rhythm at the same time, but I did, owww what a great double-neck that was. I sold her 20 years later, for a lot of money, yes, but nevertheless it felt like selling her out, I still regret that moment.”
It was -again- 2 years later, when Marco left France for Spain and Portugal, that he stopped making music all together, to concentrate on a career in footwear, just like his father and grandfather before him. At first as free-lance shoe-production supervisor and later-on as successful children’ shoe-designer he lived and worked in many different places around the world, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Brazil, USA, China, Indonesia, Taiwan being amongst them. “I even lived in Holland again back in the 80’s for eh… yep, you guessed it, two years… …or was it just one year?”
I bought a violin and a guitar, and started playing again. I already was writing poetry, but for my 50th birthday I decided to turn a poem called ‘La Lune’ into a song. ‘Moonlight’ I called it, and posted it on my internet blog and a few months later ‘Moonlight’ was being played on Internet radio. Funny fact is that the violin I played when I was a kid, went with me to Spain, to Far East and to France, till I gave it away now 40 years ago. Then, 30 years later, around the time I recorded 'Moonlight', that violin found it's way back to me! True story! Anyway, I continued writing songs, and began gigging for people, literally, via charity. At least 20% of all my gig-proceeds, sometimes more and sometimes even all of it still today goes to various charities. I’ve noticed that if I keep music for myself, it is not effective, it has no power. The power of music is that it connects. It connects me with people, of course, but it also connects me with everything around me; it grounds me. I believe that music is a gift from ‘somewhere’, Universe let’s say, and that I should do something with before passing it on. If I choose not to accept that gift, do nothing with it, keep it to myself or not pass it on, I become ungrounded, disconnected, unsatisfied, unhappy. That’s how important music is to me. It keeps me in check so I can be free. And, not less important, music makes sure that I stay well-balanced in my other activities such as design, entrepreneurship, education.”
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