Design. Program. Operate.

“Die Leuchte” - now that is me! - Martin Holstein

26 years young from Rittersdorf in the middle of the German “Eifel”

 

But who or what is behind this name ?

I want to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me. I hope you like it !

WHERE THE JOURNEY STARTED...

Where do I start. Birth? Kindergarten? Well, then maybe that was a long time ago... So rather school time.

Like most of my class, after completing elementary school, I went to secondary school. That was in Bitburg. "Christian Middle School St. Matthias" - sounds worse than it was. No, really! Because here I discovered my passion for light and sound engineering through various projects. Over the years I came to my senses and the desire to earn my money with it later became bigger and bigger!

No sooner said than done. So I founded my first real company at the age of 14! - Well, not completely alone - mom and dad still had to sign, but it was my first step into self-employment.

At that time under the name "Eventbrothers" I bought the first lamps, loudspeakers and everything else needed for DJing. Because that was exactly what I wanted to do at that age. To inspire people with music, and at best to earn money with it.

 

GRADUATION, APPRENTICESHIP & BEER

After I finished secondary school, I had to develop myself professionally. What to do ? high school ? An apprenticeship ? maybe you should say that I was only 16 1/2 years old at that time... Sure - "Event Teachnician" would have been my dream. But let's be honest. If you try to officially enter this profession at this age, the chance of accompanying a real production is almost 0%... So I was looking for something else -apprenticeship for sure - but I'd like to do something with electricity. 
The choice fell quite fast on the electronic technician for industrial engineering.

Also a job was found quite fast. So on 08/01/2013 I started my apprenticeship as electronic technician for industrial engineering at the Bitburger brewery. Yes, I know ... brewery ? Wasn't there always beer for free? - Yes!

Somehow I was quite good at what I was doing, and besides my Siemens SPS technician, which I completed laboriously in half-sleep in an evening school, I also successfully completed my apprenticeship early.

READY, OR NOT?!...

So I was through, apprenticeship done and my working life could have really started here! Could ... The idea of self-employment didn't let me go, because my company wasn't doing so badly during my apprenticeship.

However, in the last few years I had specialized in lighting technology - sound engineering and being a DJ did not fulfill me as much as lighting technology did, and still does.

To inspire people and arouse emotions with light - sounds pretty kitschy, but is not so far-fetched.

But for me it has always been like that, that when I have an idea in my head, I work on it until I reach it. And well - shortly before I finished my apprenticeship I saw an advertisement in which AIDA Cruises was looking for a lighting technician. 
For the "little boy from the village" it was quite a strange thought to face such a challenge.

But as I said - the fire was lit.

EMBARKATION DAY

This finally led to the fact that only a few weeks after my apprenticeship, I was hired as a "Light Technician" on the cruise ship "AIDAcara". I liked it so much that I stayed with the company for three years. And it was really super cool!

Besides the job as Light Technician on AIDAcara, I was also in the positions of 2nd Light Operator, 1st Light Operator and finally Entertainment Technical Manager (like the TM at the festival).

And this on a total of 5 ships of the fleet - from the smallest AIDAcara - up to the flagship AIDAnova.

Job-related challenges were always a big part of that cruise ship Life, but I was always able to master them well - of which, to be honest, I am a little proud.

Was it the first Selection voyage of AIDA Cruises, the shipyard stay of AIDAvita in Bremerhaven, or my biggest baby: the first world cruise in the history of AIDA Cruises... A great time!

 

I'M COMING HOME

After three years in this parallel world, however, homesickness grew increasingly and I decided to return to my home port - the Eifel. Well port would be exaggerated now, say.... jetty... 


Independence that was always my big goal. So I did exactly that.

I sold my whole company, including all the material, to reorient myself. "Die Leuchte" was born!


After the first festivals and projects the response and with it my passion was so great that I bought my own console. A grandMA 3 light - brand new with lots of bubble wrap and a nice smelling cardboard and case!

And that's me - Martin Holstein aka "Die Leuchte" - self-employed light operator/ Programmer/ Operator.

 

I hope you weren't too bored while reading, and maybe you want to have a look at my projects now ?

Or maybe you would like to get to know me directly - with coffee and/or gin and tonic!

 

Cheers ! :)