Sitting at my desk, trying to fight an ‘Oh god, will I ever be done with this manuscript?’-feeling, I searched for inspiration. I am in desperate need for a spark that will not only my light DARK FIBER, but my mind and my writing. It doesn’t have to be much, just a teeny weeny spark will suffice.

Ricciotti Ensemble performing near Keizersgracht

You would say that the lady in white, that beautiful snow-covered oldie outside we call Amsterdam, would be enough to get me back on track, but it’s not. Not today.
What else is there to inspire me? Fiddling around at my desk, I stumbled upon a picture from way back. It’s a photo of the Ricciotti Ensemble and it features one of my two dearests. He played the violin in that somewhat anarchistic street symphony orchestra. The picture reminded me of the concert last Sunday, when my other dearest performed with his orchestra in the Westerkerk, wishing all who were there happy holidays, not on his electric guitar, but on his bassoon this time.

I realized it was music that would get me going again. So I opened my music library and searched for that one mind-blowing song or that one tune that would light my fire. I hesitated at Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. That’s a good one, but it only keeps up the typing speed, it doesn’t light any fires. I contemplated RATM, but Zack de la Rocha makes my antagonist even angrier than he already is and that guy needs to tone down a bit or my protagonist will not make it to the end. Even good old Jim won’t ride me through the storm today.
It took me some time, but I found it, that one song: ‘Give In To Me’ by Michael Jackson. It’s not Michael that kindles the fire, it’s Slash. I love the speedy riffs, the metal, the way he hits the frets on his Les Paul. Yep, I am back on track!

And you? What music inspires you? Which song or composition kindles your fire?