How my bands helped me to give lectures for a large audience
November 14th 2017 Posted at De_Introns, English, Geschiedenis, MalaMondo, Muziek
2 Comments 
Like many young professionals, I too struggled to find the confidence necessary to address a (big) audience during and after my studies. When I started my job as a lecturer at the University of Groningen years ago, the first thing I did was to hire a coach to help me find my cool and Zen in front of the students. He did help me and I was able to pass as a 'real' teacher. Students listened and most of them seemed to enjoy the lessons and discussions we had. But I never felt at ease, nor did I truly believe I belonged in front of those classes. Now, almost ten years later, I still get nervous to give a lecture or workshop. But in those ten years, I have found trust in myself. Yes, I belong in front of those classes and audiences. Yes, I have faith I have interesting stories and knowledge to share. And for a big part, this self-assurance is due to my experience as a musician in punkbands.Read more,....
MalaMondo published new recordings for you to download or stream for donation. We managed to get recorded at Soundlodge, a professional studio that is well know for its high quality metal sound. The result is awesome, great sound and pretty tight.
There is another excellent seminar coming up at the University of Groningen, organized by the Centre for Gender Studies. There will be a workshop on Doing Family by one of my favorite colleagues Tanny Dobbelaar, and for the keynote lecture Helena Wahlström Henriksson will come over from Sweden to talk about maternal voices. So markt this upcoming Wednesday 5th of April 2017 in your agenda.
Did you know Groningen has a Centre for Gender Studies? This CGS has tried to safeguard education about gender within the university. They are not as big as Gender Studies in Utrecht or Nijmegen, just to name some random good institutions, but they are alive. It is quite embarrassing to have to say that the University of Groningen has tried, and had almost succeeded, into getting rit of Gender Studies as a subject for study. 
De Introns uploaded two new and free recordings to their bandcamp page, including the song Run. This song is about state- and social control and the difficulties we face in everyday life resisting it.
Historians serve as the memory keepers of people, nations, and human mankind in general. We study the past by giving meaning to the sources and forming narratives to discuss with other historians and the public. This task brings with it an enormous moral side. What do we research, what plots and words do we use in our stories, what do we tell about who's past? 
Racists have presented a video showing Marseille hooligans rioting in the Groningen city as Syrian refugees who were supposedly trying to impose a Sharia Law on the city.
Being Dutch means being on a bike. This video-clip of my band MalaMondo just came out. I love it!
In June, my band de Introns recorded this song. I wrote it after a visit to the refugees who had set up camp in the middle of The Hague.
Taking parental leave in the arts department is a bad idea. You certainly won’t get an extension to conduct your research, even though you give up some of your salary. That’s because the faculty doesn’t have enough money, board member Egon Dietrich says. He says you can easily plan a pregnancy. Other faculties at the RUG freely give extensions for parental leave. Such an awkward arrangement results in delays after having a child, employment expert Janneke Plantenga says. The RUG appeals to the right of self-determination within each university faculty, but there is criticism of that approach. Both the union and the university council have placed this unfair approach on their agendas for discussion.
