 This year 2008 is special.
Time to look back and ahead
On August 1st, it'll be the
20-year anniversary of the CoC registration in Den Bosch, and thus, of
the workshop for the making of recorders and flutes. You may think that
it's not worth celebrating, but for me it's a biggie, at least worth
noting.
Hard to believe I am now working on the 239th baroque flute,
the 684th recorder, and other projects like developing another new
model recorder.
 When I first talked it over in 1988,
many people said that I wouldn't make it, starting with nothing at all.
I came back from working in a recorder factory in Israel with only a
few dollars and too many plans. I rented a house in Den Bosch, just
at the edge of its beautiful historic center. And started the workshop,
with a handful of customers, some of which still come to see me to this
very day.
 Tilburg,Nieuwstraat
I
still remember the first year in the Nieuwstraat, where I made my
recorders under the scaffolding in the downstairs living room. This
soon became showroom and workshop, the lathe moved to the summer
kitchen at the back of the house.
I got my first computer, proudly
entering the names of many new customers on a green monochrome screen.
Took baroque flute lessons with Nancy Possman and recorder lessons with
Roland Dingen. Those were the years of the first computer viruses, of
new mobile phone technology, dangerous liaisons, and the unbearable
lightness of being. Many fond memories come back writing this article
on the latest widescreen laptop. Computer technology has also come a
long way. Tilburg saw me leave almost every month. I try to remember
all the exhibitions I visited, and all the people I have met there. The
historic city of Regensburg with fantastic candlelight concerts.
Rüsselsheim where I sold out in a day. Paris, ooh la la, where I had to
share the stand's table during the day and the Ikea canapé-bed at night. London where
I stumbled upon a rare original Heitz descant, real tortoiseshell with
ivory, went crispy duck-dining with the seller of it's imitation in
high-tech resin. And the plane on the stormy way back nearly falling
into the North Sea. Innsbruck with a lot of Japanese customers gathered
under the Golden Roof. The exhibition in East Berlin, just after the Wall
fell, or the festival caves under the city of Perugia.
We stayed in
Tilburg for 14 years, then tired of the hustle and bustle of the big
city went looking for somewhere quiet.  Puy Gros
A
lot of things have changed, but the recorders and flutes have stayed
and have since long become the main portion of my professional life.
What's next?
I
surely hope to go on until the really big 25th. There are fantastic old
instruments that I haven't seen yet, even more old books to examine,
and flutes to develop. There's also the feeling that the big city
wasn't all that bad, and these mountains and it's people are unique
though a bit too quiet for me.
Future will tell, I am too busy travelling back and forth to the Netherlands to give that much thought.
20 year anniversary. What to do?
Maybe
a reunion event with presentations? Maybe a concert? Maybe a week's
sailing on the Dutch waters with 20 of my most loyal customers? Maybe
something should be done to record the history of the workshop. Maybe
nothing and wait for the 25th anniversary? Just thinking out loud. I
will tell you here if I or any of you have found the ultimate idea.
Anyway,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support
and the kindness during the last 20 years. And although I know that
that is not always possible, I will do my best to keep all of you
happy. And supply you with more beautiful instruments for as long as I
can.
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