Fighting loneliness: students in the corona crisis
door Abel, Jente, Jiajia
The clarinet player
”About three years ago, I got into a deep depression and quit my job as a webshop programmer. Amid my depression, I decided to learn how to play an instrument. I always thought the clarinet was a wonderful instrument. I took a few lessons, but I soon found out that I have a talent for it. I quit classes but kept practicing every day. When I play, I’m in a different world—a serene space, where it’s just me and the music. I sometimes would like to practice at home for five hours straight, which would cause noise pollution. Now I have agreed with my neighbors that I play for a maximum of 1 hour a day. After that, I go from park to park. When I want to practice the high tones, I go to the NDSM in the North of Amsterdam. There is a lot of space, so the loud sound isn’t bothering anyone. Especially Vondelpark is an important place for me. There I meet many people, and sometimes they hire me to play a living room concert. A few tourists have even invited me to come to London to perform as soon as we can travel again. This instrument has made me a better person. It means everything to me. It has saved me.”
by Debra Barraud
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