The Prophet of Synthesizers: A Tribute to Dave Smith
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- Dave Smith - the founder of Sequential Circuits, designer of the Prophet 5, and creator of MIDI - passed away suddenly just prior to the 2022 NAMM show. We at Syntaur had just interviewed him a few weeks prior, for an upcoming Synth Wizards episode. Here are portions of that interview, along with tributes from some of his friends and colleagues.
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Thank you for such a beautiful tribute to my dad
Your dad was such a hero to us all, and he seemed like such a wonderful human as well. As much as we will miss him, I know your loss is immeasurable, and I'm truly sorry. Thank you so much for your support of our channel!
Sincere condolences to you, your family, his family, friends and colleagues.
He brought joy to the world through his hard work and no nonsense approach to designs, making affordable, beautiful instruments for people that allowed expression through his endeavours.
His efforts are immeasurable, and I thank your dad for this. He will be surely missed.
A genius who change the landscape of music forever like Bob Moog and Don Buchla. A terrible lost for you and all humanity. So creative and so alive. Me deeply condolences to you and your family. Sadly, as he has recently passed away while we will miss him, his vision of the music industry will live forever inspiring future generations of engineers and musicians.
Legendary 🍻💯
He lives on in every single Synth he designed and which is used by musicians all over the world. Especially in the latest revision of the new Prophet 5. Let me assure you, the news of his passing shocked me too and as someone who too lost a valued family member earlier this year as well (my grandma in this case), you have my deepest sympathies and condolence. I hope the love and support from Synthesizer fans everywhere will comfort you and your family. Shared pain is a lot easier to take. *hugs*
Rest in Peace Dave.
A true synth wizard and legend. My interest in synthesizers wouldn't have happened if the Prophet 5 never happened.
A true Prophet of Synthesis. RIP Dave.
One of the saddest news for me in 2022 that he is gone - a few weeks ago, I stiil saw him at SuperBooth / Berlin - one of the nicest and smartest guys he was out there... 😢
A few years ago my friend was sitting in a place once and was talking to this guy explaining midi to him and the guy was very interested in his conversation, latter on my friend found out he was explaining midi to was dave smith :D rest well you mega hero dave
22:04 "The whole MIDI thing" as he waves his hand and says it was a "one shot thing." One of the greatest inventions in the history of music and something that without, I simply would not have been able to produce the kind of music and do the kinds of things I do today without MIDI. My first synthesizer was a Six Trak. My first Drum Machine a Sequential Circuits TOM, my first MIDI interface was the C64 interface for a commodore 64. My first proper music computer, an Atari ST, had MIDI ports built in. I cannot imagine my creative life without Dave Smith and his "one off." He was truly the shining star of inventors in the music industry. What an incredible, humble guy. It hurts to see the great ones pass on.
I think what Dave meant is that technologically, MIDI is just a serial interface tacked onto a microprocessor, it's not really that special, it was something which was already in the air at the time; Roland had its DCB interface for instance. What really made MIDI take off was the way everyone took it to their hearts, manufacturers and musicians alike, however, that wouldn't have been possible without Dave's approach to MIDI, making it a general interface not tied to any specific synthesizer architecture etc. I don't think he realized how crucial that generality concept was, for him it was just natural, being the person he was.
@@ricardlupus It is like the analogy, did Edison invent the electric light. No, he didn't. Did he invent the filament required to make the electric light viable, yes, he did. Yes, Roland had the DCB interface out at the time, but it was FAR from a standard communication protocol. It was far from a viable interface technology. DCB was not used or considered by other manufacturers just in the same way that while there was a protocol to get one synthesizer to play another, there was no other set of program standards, patch changes or MIDI CC. That is the true invention here.
@@ricardlupus I would agree that Roland did have DCB at the time. But it was ridiculously over engineered, proprietary and frankly, pretty much underwhelming. Dave had the wherewithal to know that there was an opportunity for all manufacturers to develop a standard and that was what MIDI was. This many years later and MIDI is still just as vital to modern music as it was at its inception. He was humble in everything that he did and he did it for the joy that he knew it brought him and others.
Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I'm sure it was a labor of love, but I think it also took a bit of resolve to push through the unhappiness that may have welled up when making this content. Still, you've given your audience such a lovely tribute to Dave Smith and so I express my gratitude for these efforts - RIP Dave Smith
Thanks to Sam and Syntaur to make this video. You will be missed Dave, thanks for all the things you gave us.
Absolutely gutted by this unfortunate news, wonderful memorial you gents put together for Dave.
Thank you, he certainly touched our hearts.
Dave Smith was a genius and a legend will be greatly missed. It has been an emotional rollercoaster going from the joy and excitement of the introduction of the OB-X8, the latest fruit of Dave's wonderful collaboration with Tom Oberheim to the sudden and stunning news that we have lost Dave. It was also nice to see that Dave's profound love and respect for Tom and Kakehashi-San was pointed out. Thank you, Sam and Syntaur for such a moving tribute.
Dave’s passing was a real heart-breaker. Dave was a hero of mine, as I’m sure many others.
He tried to downplay the importance of MIDI. Don't kid yourself. MIDI was a revolution. Young players accept it as automatic that MIDI plugs are on the back of any serious keyboard, controller or sound module these days. Not before Dave. Before MIDI you more less had to buy into a system from one company if you wanted a synth, sequencer or voice module. Also keep in mind that the first Moog hit in 1964 at the price of a new Volks Wagon. So to buy into a complete system was big bucks. After Dave, you could keep saving up until you had a keyboard from each of the big players, Yamaha, Roland, Oberheim, Sequential, Moog etc and they could all be plugged together and played from one of the keyboards and have the sound of any of them from one controller. In fact, that's what brought about the keyboard controller which made no sound of its own, you just got sound modules and plugged them all in. MIDI may have been the most influential invention ever in the world of synths. In todays world of proprietary everything that would be unheard of. But when you think about it, if having to buy all of one companies system had continued, we would never have bought so many of such a wide variety of companies. It helped everyone instead of hurting them. I wish some other manufacturers in the world could realize that. Working together instead of trying to lock out the competition is better for everyone in the long run. But don't buy a Chevy part and think you're going to put it in a Ford LOL!
AGREE 100%... no, 200%!!! [if that existed!!]... Such a super giant, genius, legend... AMAZING!!! Yes, you are ABSOLUTELY right @BirdYoumans
@infoslinger I don't have the 600 but my experience with sequential was the pro one. I was playing bass as my main instrument at the time but I grew up playing keyboards. I just loved playing bass. But the occasion arose in one of my bands where we lost our keyboard player. The band had bought a Wurlitzer piano and an ARP synth so I suggested I could use the ARP as a bass and the Wurlitzer for keys. Back then we did not have 50 keyboards that could be bought for less than 500 like we do today. But I pulled it off and one day shortly after that decision I was in a music store and there was the Pro One which had just come out. This was mid 70's. And it was $600 and it just simply blew the doors off the ARP for bass sounds among other sounds as well. I went home with it that day. I loved that keyboard. Still do. But I now have the U-he Pro one - Prophet 5 plug set which are great in their own right. But that Pro One started my love affair with Sequential which continues to this day via the plugins. Those early Sequential keyboards were game changing keyboards in more ways than one. I never was able to afford the 5 and by the time I could, the game had changed yet again with the Yamaha DX7 which I did buy and still own.
@@BirdYoumans The Pro One came out in 1981.
MIDI should have received a Nobel Prize. Thank you Roland and Sequential Circuits!! (RIP Dave and Ikutaro...)
@@Coowallsky You are correct. My 77 year old mind sometimes misses by a year or two when I'm trying to remember these things lol! But it was by far my favorite bass synth ever! That I am positive about!! I still have it but it is in bad need of repair at this point because I used it to death. It would be interesting to know how man thousand hours of playing time it has on it. From what must have been 1981 to about 1995 I used it nightly about 5 to 6 days a week, 4 to 5 hours a night. From that point on I began to do Old Time Gospel music and when I would record my CD's, I would make a final mix leaving out my lead vocal and use that as a performance track so I could play acoustic guitar and sing to it and thus sound like my CD so I no longer used it to perform then.
Rest in peace and PWM.
Thank you, Dave, for all you've added to my life.
I was a salesman in the X-Ray business in 82-83. While covering my territory I walked into Michael Boddicker's parents' music store in Cedar Rapids, IA. There I got to see a MemoryMoog for the first time.
While even knowing I wasn't going to purchase it, the salesman grabbed a set of headphones and plugged them into a mixer that the MemoryMoog was also plugged in and told me "take as much time as you want to check it out."
I walked out of the store about 2 hours later with a grin.
Within 4 months I purchased the Sequential Circuits Pro-One.
You always remember your first one.
RIP Dave. You are and still will be a legend in many many years to come. I own a Prophet X and I have to admit it is the best synth I have ever owned.
Dave Smith was someone that I would consider to have been on my "To meet" bucket list. Every interview showed his passion for synthesizers and technology and doing his part to keep things creatively progressing. Yet, the humility and kindness that he showed everyone that he talked with in interviews impressed me most. Dave is the kind of man that I think treated everyone like a peer or friend in some way. I'm grateful for his work and innovation with Korg. I will remember Dave Smith every time I play my Korg Wavestation. This synth wouldn't exist without Dave Smith and his team at the time. A legend and one of our synth heros. Rest in Peace Dave.
So great to see some more recent footage of Dave! It's really nice that you folks put this video together and included clips from his friends and colleagues. DSI / Sequential hosted my wife and I at their studio / office and I had my Tempest along and placed it on his desk while we were there, so as to "touch the monolith". Afterwards, we went across to Tony Nik's where Dave and Tom filmed the promo video for the OB-6 and I asked to bartender to make me one of Dave's usual drinks, with tequila of course. I'm so very sad that he passed away. It's still hard to comprehend. But we've still got him with us through the legacy of his work and instruments. I have nine synthesizers in my studio and each of them all say "Dave Smith Instruments" on them, all before the switch to Sequential. So he's all I got... He designed the sounds that I love to use in my music and has done it in such a way, that it is always a lot of fun and keeps me inspired for more. Really glad to see this footage from you guys. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
And remember this, his gift to you is your gift to us.
You have done Dave proud, and many would know.
What you manage to do live is simply amazing, Dave will be missed, but his legacy lives through people like yourself.
I am happy you got to meet Dave the way you did, something many of us never ever would be able to dream of.
R.I.P Dave.
Condolences to family, friends and colleagues.
What a wonderful person and what a loss to us all that he's gone.
Thank you for making this video and uploading it. We are losing the inventors and artists of the late 70's and 80's each month. If anyone reading this knows an artist or inventor who made early, electronic music... no matter how big or small... get their thoughts and memories recorded. You never know how much time they have left, and who they may inspire in the future because you took the time to ask them to tell about their experiences. With how accessible cameras are these days and how easy it is to share, there is no excuse when someone musical passes away and there remain many questions unasked of them.
Fantastic tribute to the man. RIP Dave!
you can hear the love and respect these people have for Dave ........ thank you Syntaur this was touching and heart felt
Rest in peace Dave. You will go to heaven for Shure and your Prophet 5 will live for ever. I am one of the lucky persons who have a good old Prophet 5 rev 3. The best synth ever made.
What a wonderful tribute.
More people should see this.
oh man... I can´t believe he´s not with us anymore... this made me cry again
what a lovely tribute Syntaur, you are doing much more than supply us with parts... there is true love behind this
Love Dave Smith. 🙏❤️😞 praying for his family and everyone
Thank you Syntaur for this great tribute! Dave Smith lives whenever we're using one of the instruments he designed, but even more when using MIDI-equipped devices. Thank you Dave!
A pioneer who changed the world, thank you. R.I.P. Dave Smith
A superb hommage to this true pioneer and visionary, passionate about what he did. The fact that synths still use MIDI today is a testament to his genius design. He will be missed. Thanks for sharing this tribute.
To quote him "Analog subtractive synthesis is here forever...that's what got us out of the digital dark ages". I agree wholeheartedly.
Dave Smith, Robert A. Moog, and Tom Oberheim are my idols, and they are to millions of other people too!
Thanks guys, very beautiful video of Dave, I have the chance to have one of his creations a P600 back in 1994. Thanks Dave for your legacy.
@infoslinger Yes I sold it in 2007, unfortunately I need the money.
RIP Dave! You changed my life! Respect and condolences to his family and friends. Will be missed indeed!
Thanks for this, Sam. I'm so glad you had a chance to meet him. Wish I did.😞
I remember, as a teenager, hearing about Bob Moog passing, and feeling very down because as remote as the possibility may have been, that moment put in concrete the fact that I would never get to meet that person that contributed so much to the industry and the artistry that I enjoy and have tried to re-create through software. That feeling came back in full when I read of Dave Smith's passing. I look forward to the next wave of people that push the synth sphere forward, and I'm thankful for what people like Bob and Dave and Don did to lay the groundwork for what we have now.
You guys put together a fantastic tribute vid for a man who deserved our greatest respect. Well done.
i envy dave,,,,the man has left behind a amazing legacy
i grew up in the 70's and 80's,,,,so hearing these instruments for the first time was always awsome,,,,and all the new sounds they made,,,,it always had you wondering,,,,,what is that?
Still hard to believe. Rest well, Dave. ❤🧡💛
This was a lovely tribute guys.. such a loss and he seemed in such good health. There's never really enough time is there.
That is a really lovely tribute Sam, thank you...
2022, what kind of a year....
the loss of so many great personalities is remarkable.
Truly a sincere, informed, beautiful and moving tribute to a very bright, gregarious and generous human being. Thank you so much for creating this video.
Still can’t believe he’s no longer with us
Making it seem so simple while creating some of the more unique and influential ""machines with a soul"" of this kind is certainly a mark of a genius, nothing less than that. Awesome man and engineer. RIP Dave Smith
Lot of people have been dying unexpectedly the past couple years. Thank you for making this vid. I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that he's gone. : (
Dave you were a magician of sound, and you made a true milestone in the history of instrument makers. Your legacy is immense and a source of inspiration for the new generations all around the world. Rest In Peace you wonderful !
Sam, thanks for putting this together! It was nice seeing you just a few weeks back when you shot this. It's been very difficult for us.
A man who revolutionized the music world. If only people knew how MIDI is taken for granted. I'm so glad to own a prophet 5 and a prophet 08. The sounds that can be created with a Prophet are endless, Thank you Dave for creating such beautiful universal tool. RIP mr. Smith!!
A legend has passed but never will be forgotten. Thank you Sam for this tribute.
Wow, just Wow! I can’t think of a better way to honor this man and his work. You created something very special. This tribute will live on along with everyone’s memories of Dave. Well done!
Thank you for your kind words. We were awed by Dave's accomplishments, and touched by his kindness.
Thank you Sam for helping us all grieve and remember Dave through this tribute. A legend has left us, and there are no words.
Thank you Dave for everything you've done for music, the synth world and beyond -- you will be forever missed, and your legacy will never be forgotten.
Thank you so much for this. Beautiful tribute.
Many thanks to all of you Syntaur folks. This video is on my save list to watch again and again. This should go into the Smithsonian in the near future.
This was an amazing piece. Thank you to your team for posting this. I am just beginning my synth life of music creating. And when (on RUclips) I saw a post of the story of Sequential Circuit I was inspired and enchanted. Choosing the Take5 as my 1st synth I can only hope Dave Smith was there for its inception but ultimately, Mr. Smith’s heart and genius will be in anything Sequential, and any company after, in its circuits.
Rest In Peace, Dave. Your inspiration and innovation will long outlive you.
R.I.P Dave Smith. The Pro-2 & The Tempest are my favourite instruments in my studio.☹
I literally just grabbed my polyevolver a few days ago and while researching one of the newer prophets I found out that Dave had passed. I was crushed. Always enjoyed his products, and was amazed by his demeanor. RIP.
This is excellent guys, really thank you for putting this together.
The clips of Dave are great, his enthusiasm for his own work and the industry as a whole is captivating.
So much of what I love doesn't exist without his work, and the landscape of my passion would be completely different.
I wish the best for Sequential, and the best for his family.
What a humble and empathetic guy was Dave, despite (and maybe even because of) the indisputable stance he deservedly gained in the electronic instruments industry. Not only I am the proud owner of a beautiful Rev 2, a vibrant and authoritative keyboard, but my first synthesiser ever was a second-hand and mint condition Six Track, which now I sorely regret to have sold to finance a then very hyped digital module.
This was great, I've always liked him
I am shocked and devastated.
Being at the same time an electronic music producer and an engineer, I know all too well what we owe to Dave Smith: programmable synthesizers, MIDI, and a variety of gorgeous instruments from the Prophet to the Drumtraks to the Tempest and even Eurorack modules, some of which I own, instruments that the world’s best artists, and the most demanding, have happily used.
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But it was only two weeks ago that I met him, at SuperBooth in Berlin, and discovered a kind and friendly person. I didn’t ask for a photo with this legend, because I didn’t want to bother him and I was planning to meet him again when I soon return to California.
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He was so full of energy that when I later heard about his tragic disappearance, I just couldn’t believe it.
I hoped it was a mistake or a joke in horrible taste. Yet the Sequential website confirmed it and I had to confront reality.
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I was working on coproducing a documentary targeted at the general public about Superbooth and more broadly the world of electronic instruments. We must have made one of the last interviews with Dave and I will now make sure that this documentary pays tribute to him.
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On Sequential’s booth, I spent time to try in person the Prophet 10 I had my eye on for several months, the pinnacle of Dave’s work, which I since then ordered. Analog instruments bring a human touch to electronic music. I’d like to believe that when use this Prophet 10, which will now carry a particular significance for me, there will be a piece of Dave’s soul in my music.
My first ever synth was a Prophet 5 and it totally blew me away. R.I.P. Dave 🙏
Thanks for this, Dave was a pioneer and a gentleman. I have two Six Traks to help carry the legacy. As an aside, the $1500 Dave paid for his Model D is now the equivalent of $10,500 in 2022 dollars. That was quite a financial plunge for a fledgling EE, but obviously paid major dividends to us all. RIP.
Heartbreaking to watch. RIP David.
Thank goodness he didn't sell it to Gibson!
Thank you, Yamaha!
I still have a couple of letters from SC signed by Mr.Dave. Some replacement keys & chip updates for Six Trak and Drum Traks. I remember he hardly charged me for the parts or s&h. Very sad news. RIP Mr. Smith. Your instruments bring much joy to this world.
I mentioned this before somewhere but one of the big things he did was 'Reality' by Seer Systems. This was a revolution! Back in the late 90s the idea of a software sampler with filters was really something. To think he invented midi then that. So respect to you Dave. You changed the world!
Legend: Left a proper legacy and a real mark, what a dude !
A great Man of Planet Earth, founder of MIDI and very great Synthesizer.. R.I.P. Dave! 😢
A beautiful trubute to a wonderful man.
Huge, huge loss. What a guy. MIDI was as revolutionary as TCP/IP, both open standards. If they weren't open, we wouldn't be here using the Internet, and being able to make music with computers, and let devices talk to each other.
Totally appreciate you guys doing this tribute! I always looked up to Dave Smithˋs ingenuity and the way he produced very musical tools for us. I always wanted to own a Prophet 6 and I finally was able to buy my own one. It just arrived the very same day when I read about Dave having passed away. Now I always have to think about Dave whenever I switch on my P6. It feels like using an instrument I borrowed from a friend. RIP Dave and thank you.
Thanks to Dave Smith, he was part of very important legendary work.
Very well done. Rest In Peace Dave.
A beautifully done tribute, thanks for making this. I was at the NAMM show, it was magic as it always is, but there was the feeling we lost something. The industry is forever grateful for what Dave Smith has given us.
A beautiful mind and a deep soul… rest in peace Sir!💙
Thank you so much, Sam and Syntaur crew and to all those who made the time to be interviewed. Moving through disbelief and grief I am sure was not easy but I am so thankful that you did it for our community. I still can't imagine a world without Dave's vision, drive and abilities and, as so many have mentioned, his kindness. But it helps me to think that kindness is similar to MIDI. Dave didn't fancy being the "author". He enjoyed it in application. He left us pretty darned good specs for both. Thank you again, and thank you Mr. Smith 🎹 🥃
Was great to see Dave get the Sequential name back. Shame it wasn’t the full Sequential Circuits name on the new synths. Such a sad day for the alienated synthesists out there.
The loss cannot be measured
A beautiful tribute. Thank you. He seemed such a great person and he will be missed.
That is sad news. May he live in the memories of those he touched forever.
I met and spoke with him a couple of times at the MusikMesse. He was kind, patient, humorous and quite willing to give advice and shear his experience.
Very sad and such a loss, and Dave wasn't done yet I guess. He would have continued to perfect analog gear for quite some time yet I'm thinking, if not for this sudden change of plan to his journey. I gigged on Rhodes, Minimoog and Prophet 5 from 1980 on. My P5 wasn't without its problems but oh what a sound it had and I was so grateful for the 40 patch memory which the new kids on the block would see as insignificant. My regret is having sold these pieces which played such an important part in my experience and learning. Much heartfelt sympathy to Dave's family and close friends. We all have indeed lost a great man and a key figure in this art we call music. Wonderful too what he did for Tom Oberheim with the re-creation in the OB6. RIP Dave...
RIP Dave Smith. I worked for Sequential the last year before they were bought.
MIDI was a big deal. The best part is they got it correct right from the start. There was one revision in 40 years. That is astounding from an engineering point of view. MIDI changed everything, it made all these different electronic instruments compatible with each other.
Great video. Thanks to Sam and to all the Syntaur team.
A true legendary innovator... R.I.P. Dave Smith
He was a real one that's for sure
What a beautiful tribute. I didn't know much about the man, but learning he was such a humble giant in the music world really made him special amongst peers. Thank you for making this.
Terrible and sad news. Obviously a lovely guy who will be missed. His contribution to music will live on for a long time yet.
That's sad. Dave smith= GENIUS. So glad to own a Prophet 6!
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 I had to see this on my old Fb page to realize a QUADRUPLE MUSICAL OG had passed away.....damn man, I'm truly grateful to have lived in a time to see many Musicians excel and succeed in their fields and inspire young folk like myself. 🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊 rest easy King
Thanks for putting this video together. Dave Smith is one of very few human beings in history who can say:
“I changed the world, literally….” he did !
Yes, as Dave said: The analog synth is back with it's filters and envelopes and abstracitve syntese. It came back from a dark digital age. It will stay forever. The most of us prefer the analog stuff.
But off course, there will also be digital synth for those who like that kind of synth.
Thank you for sharing !
Dave Smith will always be a legend!
Mondo respect to The guy who decided to drive with the camera equipment to do this interview. 🙏
Thumbs up to Lucas - keep on being uncompromising!
Thank you for a wonderful tribute to a guy that most of us never had the privilege to meet but whose lives (and ears!) have been irrevocably altered for the better.
As someone mentioned in the film about Devo's sound being defined by the Prophet 5, one of my favourite bands, Japan, were similar.
RIP to one of the BEST....if not the BEST ever did it. i just saw him few weeks ago in berlin and had a nice chat...what an amazing and humble person he was. life is so crazy!!! Amazing Tribute.... costed me couple of tears.
Thanks for putting together Syntaur. Dave's creativity touched many of us but I am most impressed by his kindness. Thank you Dave.
"i dont want to retire... im not going to go out fishing!"
Love my Evolver and all the hours programming Midi! Thank you Dave Smith!
Dave Smith created a sound which inspired me as a child, as a teenager and an adult. As a boy in the 80's I experienced a unique sound across songs on the radio and I it took many years to identify what that signature sound was - Sequential Prophet 5. Thank you Dave, your loss is so great and your legacy even greater as a visionary, innovator and inventor. I'm deeply thankful to you.
Thank you, Dave for being the prophetic synth Smith and rest in peace meeting Ikutaro Kakehashi San and others.
This is such a bittersweet kiss good bye. But more importantly it celebrates his life and creations. That is what he deserves and that is indeed what we all should do. And in times like this it is always nice to remember this quote by Edgar Froese that says "There is no death. Just a change of our cosmic address."
Yes, this tribute really does him justice, showing him as humble and human as he was. And how i will always remember him :')
He is in synth heaven.😢😢😢😢😢🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹