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The people behind KyG

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We are both in principle A-students and 'goody two-shoes’. We don’t drink (G only a bit in company, he prefers Heineken beer – K not at all) and don’t smoke (K never has, G tried it in his early twenties for less than a year). We don’t have kids by choice, because our artistic careers have taken precedence, but also because we like what we have together so much that we hesitate to disrupt it. We often share a childlike enjoyment of certain things.

We are well-informed on nutrition and apply what we know as far as currently possible. Ideally we would combine an alkaline (non-acidic) lifestyle with the practices from Fit for Life (H. & M. Diamond), with a bit of compromise. This will hopefully be facilitated in the future. We in principle enjoy good health, although when there is more time we look forward to getting around to working out more, to trim the bit of excess weight off, that comes with sitting at the computer and/or at the piano so much.

Routine. We’re almost like unconventional priests dedicated to our cause. Although K spends most time at the computer (and G at the piano), the intention is to swap in the afternoon/evening when G returns from piano classes (which he gives seven days a week), with G at the computer and K at the piano unless we both need to work or be online, then we use the laptop. In the future, for more efficiency, we envision individual studios equipped with a piano, a computer and in K’s case also a keyboard. When necessary, we have meetings, usually in the evenings; for operational or design purposes. The approach of household chores is kept practical and to a minimum. Sleep must be mentioned for we sometimes joke that we balance each other out. K usually just requires 4-6 hours and will only sleep more when severe exhaustion warrants it. G needs 10 hours for complete relaxation and optimal functioning.

Leisure. We don’t have much time to read. During the weekends, depending on what’s on and how busy we are, we usually frequent movies (unless a project prevents it), with our Pathé Unlimited card, our only indulgence. We like to go out for dinner and have a couple of favorite spots, but have been economizing for a while now. We hardly ever attend parties, people have learned that that is not so much ‘our thing’. We prefer meaningful encounters with one or two people, and although we love to give presents and surprise people, we’ve been grateful to be able to economize in this regard for a while as well.

What with the grand ideas (see ‘Our most ambitious ideas’) and several predictions to this effect, you can perhaps imagine that we’ve dared to contemplate the appearance of a great fortune. We have in fact actively been doing so since 2007, meaning trying to get our ‘vibrations’ up to the right frequency to attract it. We highly value intuition and can both be said to be very spiritual people. In the case of G, this is intricately tied to his bond with the piano; his experience is organic and seemingly passive. K has explored more actively, practices such as meditation, Reiki, massage and alternative healing (the latter two mainly as a receiver). Although we have both been baptized Roman Catholic, neither of us are active in this regard.

Philosophy. Mental peace first. G leads here. What is possible, is possible; what is not possible, is not possible (from a financial point of view). Especially in relation to things like vacation and family. Again with reference to the appearance of a substantial fortune, we would very much like to alleviate sitations as relating to especially G’s mother and grandmother (Tampa), K’s mother (Netherlands) and her father (and his wife, in Aruba) and if possible also our siblings (all brothers: G 2 K 1). That we know how to sacrifice in favor of projects may be plain from our limitations of family visits. K has not returned to Aruba since leaving (2001) (K’s father visited The Netherlands twice). G hasn’t seen his family since 2011.

Transportation. We live in a rental and haven’t owned a car yet since we came to The Netherlands 2001/2002 (separate in relation to G’s permit requiring approval; he then had not yet acquired the Dutch a passport). Since we don’t value a car as a status symbol but rather a practical necessity, acquiring one has’t been necessary in view of our routine and yet another department in which we chose to economize. We do have public transport memberships for our area and are very grateful that our home address is well-serviced with several stops.

Image factors. There are two, one of which we will only discuss in case of a real, potential working relationship. The other involves the fact that people have a certain view of us; they – for example – logically assume that we have our own house, own a car and a grand piano. This image projection is of course on the one hand telling about our perceived success, on the other may effect a certain ease in cancelling piano classes because ‘we don’t need it, anyway’, not entirely in line with reality.

K harbors a curious A-type personality vs B-type personality combination. On the one hand this has enabled her to succesfully hold such trying positions as the one working for the Shell board. It is also the side that carries the company and has led to great respect from former colleagues. The feeling, B-type side is highly intuitive and creative and – in combination with the A-type – prolific. The tension between the two, in particular in relation to a series of stressful jobs and certainly the quadruple ‘hat’ (job - artistic career - G/company - family/household), in combination with a prolonged period of exercise neglect (also because of the stark contrast with a very physically active past as a dancer, martial artist and runner), spawned some tenacious triggerpoints which translate to moderate ongoing muscle pain, for which – after seeing several therapists – she is currently self-treating.

K’s creative productivity mid-2012 to date has been compromised by an emotional and physical healing curve, efforts to replace her salary through the pursuit of freelance activities and a learning trajectory to take the company to the next level.

G is a driven, highly disciplined intellectual. His very high artistic integrity is what guarantees the high quality of KyG output, the end result of which is usually a two-person collaboration. Until he met K his vision for his life exclusively involved the piano and his mother/grandmother. He is highly respected by his family and peers both for his personality and skill and loved by his students because of his youthfulness and effectiveness.

When he is called to a project, naming – in succession – his two books, the piano trio composition project and his collages; he through singular focus is capable of securing completion a bit more effective than K, who finds herself sometimes hampered by fragmentation of her attention between projects. He is a bit averse to exercise, this has not been his world. With K he began to run and is now more aware of the need to exercise, among other things because the doctor alerted him of the importance of strengthening his back muscles.

Honeymoon, Aruba, 2001

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