Welcome to my music site! I have long been active as a teacher, political writer and in more recent years, as a musician. Since my retirement in 2013 (as director of the think tank of the Dutch Green Party), l boldly entered upon a semi-professional ‘career’ as a singer-songwriter. In this capacity I have performed on many stages in the Netherlands, and have released three cd’s.

Crosspath (2015) was produced by Ferdinand Bakker at the Parkstudio in Amsterdam. I co-produced my second album Meanwhile Gardens with songwriter Luke Nyman and released it in december 2018. My third album All the Little Things was likewise co-produced with Luke Nyman, and came out in 2021.

These days, I have said goodbye to performing on stage and recording in my modest home studio on board the Nymphaea. For many years I lived with my partner Baukje Prins on this historic motor yacht, which, was built in 1917, and about which I wrote my most recent book (2023). In January 2025, we sold our beloved ship to a new owner, and now live in the Amsterdam neighbourhood of Watergraafsmeer. More info on my intellectual career on www.dickpels.nl

For the record: in the sixties and seventies I played bass and lead guitar in rock bands in the areas of Hilversum and Amsterdam.

In 1967, I recorded this song with the short-lived Dean Alan Set. Its line-up included Hilversum heroes such as Ferry Maat on organ and Will Luikinga on sax, both seated on the left. I sit on the far right (for myself: on the far left).

I never wrote much about musical subjects, but here is a (Dutch) article about the 1966 ‘Beano’ album by John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers: Clapton was even God, WahWah. Literair Poptijdschrift #10, 2008 (red. Joost Zwagerman).