Tonight we had our first actual Swedish language class. It was hysterical. Put a few Russians, Ukrainians, Romanians, Canadians, and Americans in a room and try get them to pronounce a, å, ö, ä, e, o, y…and you get an amusing hour and a half.
We mainly focused on the alphabet and pronunciation of long and short vowels, along with a long list of greetings, and simple dialogues. Louise and I are meeting tomorrow to go grocery shopping. Imagine a Brit and an American buying milk saying “How is it going?”, “Good, thanks”, “Have a nice weekend”, “yo”, “I have to go”, “Good night, sleep well”…ah, the joy of learning a new language! It will be a slow, but fun process. I like our teacher a lot and the class is a really good group of people. I’m excited to get to know the others, because we'll be stuggling through it together!
En vecka till konserten! (I think that’s right…one week until the concert!) Dennis helped me print off the posters today, and I hung a few up at school. I’ll post a few in town tomorrow. Hopefully the word will get around!
That’s all for now. God natt och sov gott!
30.9.09
Details
I love putting together events. It's kind of crazy that I not only get joy from the actual performing part, but I love putting all the pieces together. Tonight I spent the evening updating my website, finishing program notes, and corresponding with Kyle about the concert. It seems as though all the details are coming together! I still need to find someone to video tape it, and am going to inquire about having the performance streamed online somehow. But, all the major logistics have been taken care of! Woohoo!
Dennis came up with some great posters:
To break up the monotony of staring at my computer working and staring at a marimba practicing, I took a side trip to the Dollar Store and Red Cross store this afternoon. Louise drove (yes, an actual car!), so I could actually purchase more than I could carry. :) No worries, everything was essential and not over 5 bucks! I added a few candles and accessories to the apartment. The weather is getting colder fast (it’s in the 40s), so I need this place to be as cozy as possible!!
Dennis came up with some great posters:
To break up the monotony of staring at my computer working and staring at a marimba practicing, I took a side trip to the Dollar Store and Red Cross store this afternoon. Louise drove (yes, an actual car!), so I could actually purchase more than I could carry. :) No worries, everything was essential and not over 5 bucks! I added a few candles and accessories to the apartment. The weather is getting colder fast (it’s in the 40s), so I need this place to be as cozy as possible!!
28.9.09
Speeeeeeeech
Today I enlisted the help of Sarah to help me fix the welcome announcement that I’m going to recite in Swedish at the concert next week. I had written something down in English and then just used ‘google translate’ to turn it into Swedish. I knew there would be grammatical errors, so I needed some human assistance.
It ended up being a group effort to try and get the correct vocabulary and grammar. Evidentially ‘google translate’ isn’t that good, and at one point it translated my text into saying something like “I don’t like this and go away”. That would have been a great way to start a recital, huh?!
This is what we (they) came up with….
Hej! Välkomna till premiären av Percussion in Piteå Concert Series. Mitt namn är Maria Finkelmeier, jag är från Ohio i USA och jag ska studera här i Piteå i ett år. Jag ser fram emot att framföra den här konserten för er! Min Fortuity duo partner, är Kyle Fortshoff från Kentucky och han undervisar i Tyskland just nu. Vi har skapat denna konsert för att hedra den Scandinaviska kompositören Fredrik Andersson. Tack för att ni är här, och jag önskar att få se er på kommande konserter! Hoppas att ni få en trevlig musikupplevelse!
I’ll be practicing this just as much as I’ll be practicing the actual music. Wish me luck…haha :)
It ended up being a group effort to try and get the correct vocabulary and grammar. Evidentially ‘google translate’ isn’t that good, and at one point it translated my text into saying something like “I don’t like this and go away”. That would have been a great way to start a recital, huh?!
This is what we (they) came up with….
Hej! Välkomna till premiären av Percussion in Piteå Concert Series. Mitt namn är Maria Finkelmeier, jag är från Ohio i USA och jag ska studera här i Piteå i ett år. Jag ser fram emot att framföra den här konserten för er! Min Fortuity duo partner, är Kyle Fortshoff från Kentucky och han undervisar i Tyskland just nu. Vi har skapat denna konsert för att hedra den Scandinaviska kompositören Fredrik Andersson. Tack för att ni är här, och jag önskar att få se er på kommande konserter! Hoppas att ni få en trevlig musikupplevelse!
I’ll be practicing this just as much as I’ll be practicing the actual music. Wish me luck…haha :)
27.9.09
Blog=Friends?
Earlier this week, I got a really nice email from a girl names Louise. She is an au pair from England that just moved to Piteå. Somehow she came across this blog, and was writing to see if I wanted to get together sometime. Who would have thought that this blog would help my social life?!
We met today for some coffee at the Galleria (the shops in the center of town). As we were in line to order, and chatting, a girl sitting at a nearby table approached us to see where we were from and why we were here. Surprisingly, she is a French horn player at school! The three of us sat together, and played the ‘getting to know you' game.
Louise is taking care for a small child for the year. The mom is from the same town that Louise is from in England, and wants her daughter to grow up bilingual. She is actually a vocal teacher at school, so Louise has met a few of the students through her. Talk about brave, Louise is just 21, found out about this job and just moved! Plus, she knows even more about the town and where to go than I do! I was then happy to learn that she is also taking the Swedish language course at school. We will struggle through it together!
The girl that joined us is named Emma. She is a third year music major. She gave us a little more insight on the town and on the school. It was really great to connect with another musician. She may have even gotten me a gig in Luleå in their orchestra. :)
After the lovely, and much needed, coffee (last night was another long and fun evening!) I headed back to school to meet with Rasmus and Lindie to talk about the lighting for the recital. It was really exciting to see the hall and hear their ideas! It’s going to be a great collaboration.
I’ve spent the majority of the afternoon and evening on my best companion…this computer. After failing miserably trying to figure out how to use Sibelius (music notaion software) on my own, Kyle came to the rescue. We had an instructional Skyping session where I literally pointed my webcam at my screen and he took me step by step through the program. It was pathetic on my part, but it would have taken me weeks to figure out all the secrets! Thanks Kyle, you saved me a lot of headaches!
This is going to be a very exciting week as the recital approaches! I actually enjoy this kind of stress, and it’s going to be really fun to see all the elements come together.
Oh yeah…random shout out to Marilyn (even though she rarely reads this). She just got her first big paying gig as a free lance oboist in New York City! Woohoo! My friends rock!
We met today for some coffee at the Galleria (the shops in the center of town). As we were in line to order, and chatting, a girl sitting at a nearby table approached us to see where we were from and why we were here. Surprisingly, she is a French horn player at school! The three of us sat together, and played the ‘getting to know you' game.
Louise is taking care for a small child for the year. The mom is from the same town that Louise is from in England, and wants her daughter to grow up bilingual. She is actually a vocal teacher at school, so Louise has met a few of the students through her. Talk about brave, Louise is just 21, found out about this job and just moved! Plus, she knows even more about the town and where to go than I do! I was then happy to learn that she is also taking the Swedish language course at school. We will struggle through it together!
The girl that joined us is named Emma. She is a third year music major. She gave us a little more insight on the town and on the school. It was really great to connect with another musician. She may have even gotten me a gig in Luleå in their orchestra. :)
After the lovely, and much needed, coffee (last night was another long and fun evening!) I headed back to school to meet with Rasmus and Lindie to talk about the lighting for the recital. It was really exciting to see the hall and hear their ideas! It’s going to be a great collaboration.
I’ve spent the majority of the afternoon and evening on my best companion…this computer. After failing miserably trying to figure out how to use Sibelius (music notaion software) on my own, Kyle came to the rescue. We had an instructional Skyping session where I literally pointed my webcam at my screen and he took me step by step through the program. It was pathetic on my part, but it would have taken me weeks to figure out all the secrets! Thanks Kyle, you saved me a lot of headaches!
This is going to be a very exciting week as the recital approaches! I actually enjoy this kind of stress, and it’s going to be really fun to see all the elements come together.
Oh yeah…random shout out to Marilyn (even though she rarely reads this). She just got her first big paying gig as a free lance oboist in New York City! Woohoo! My friends rock!
26.9.09
Peer Pressure
Don’t worry. I didn’t do anything stupid! The title of this entry just describes the fact that I had no intentions of leaving my apartment last night. But, when I got home at 2:30am, I was glad that I had listened to my friends because I had such a good time! (Also realize that by “peer pressure”, I actually just mean a friend saying “let’s go to a party!”)
Overall, this week was exhausting! I still had a lot to get done yesterday, so I started the day off early. There is a small gym in my apartment complex, and I just found out it was free for the week. So, I went in the morning to check it out to see if I liked it. To my dismay, it was gross! It was just a small room with some free weights and smelly machines. No treadmills or ellipticals, just 3 really old and rickety stationary bikes. If I join, I can attend aerobic classes too, but I just don’t think it’s worth the money. I really really really miss my old gym in Rochester!
The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent checking a few more preparatory items off of the recital to-do list. I met with Denis, who is in the media department and going to make the posters and programs for the concert. He was a very young, shy guy, and I think I scared him a little! He seemed excited to have a project though, so we’ll see what he comes up with! Then, I met with Andreas who put Sibelius 6 on my computer so I can finally notate my piece (I’m so behind!).
After practicing, I decided to come home and start figuring out how to use Sibelius since it’s new to me; I’ve unfortunately always used Finale! But, I was so tired! So, I did what anyone would do…I downloaded the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy and cried for two hours! It was so sad, but I’m still obsessed with that show!
As the evening progressed, I decided that it would be smart to stay in for the night to get some work done. Then, I talked to Martina. Her, Sofia, and one of their friends were making dinner and watching Idol. Since the gathering seemed harmless, I went over for an amazing meal! Sofia is a great cook! We had a tomato and cucumber salad, baked potato strips, pork fillets with mushroom sauce, and pineapple pie for desert. I definitely am friends with the right people! :) I was just going to go home after dinner and Idol (the guy I like got into the next round!), but the girls said that there was a house party nearby that they were going to…
…Hum. What to do? The thought of just going back to my apartment all by myself was a little depressing. And, how much work would I really get done? I wasn’t going to drink, so I could still get work done on Saturday…
…yeah. It doesn’t take much to convince me to be social! :) I ended up having such a great time! The house was really nice, and packed with people. I still find it so funny that there were about 50+ pairs of shoes sitting by the doorway…silly Swedes! I met a lot of new people throughout the night. People my age do enjoy speaking English, and are much more comfortable doing so when they are drinking! Plus, I’m getting so much more comfortable, and am really able to be myself...which is the BEST feeling in the world. I am mostly hanging around with my barlag (bartending team: Martina, Sarah, Astrid, David. Plus Sofia, Caroline and a few others). I’m so thankful that they are so amazing! The whole evening was filled with a lot of laughs. It seems that when Swedish people get drunk and try to speak English they resort to the Borat accent to be funny. And, it really is! Who would have thought we would click so well?!
Now, it’s Saturday around noon. I’ve already been to the grocery store and am truly focused on getting some work done. Although the stress is annoying, I do love it, and am not about to sacrifice a fun weekend in Sweden to be a nerd!!
Overall, this week was exhausting! I still had a lot to get done yesterday, so I started the day off early. There is a small gym in my apartment complex, and I just found out it was free for the week. So, I went in the morning to check it out to see if I liked it. To my dismay, it was gross! It was just a small room with some free weights and smelly machines. No treadmills or ellipticals, just 3 really old and rickety stationary bikes. If I join, I can attend aerobic classes too, but I just don’t think it’s worth the money. I really really really miss my old gym in Rochester!
The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent checking a few more preparatory items off of the recital to-do list. I met with Denis, who is in the media department and going to make the posters and programs for the concert. He was a very young, shy guy, and I think I scared him a little! He seemed excited to have a project though, so we’ll see what he comes up with! Then, I met with Andreas who put Sibelius 6 on my computer so I can finally notate my piece (I’m so behind!).
After practicing, I decided to come home and start figuring out how to use Sibelius since it’s new to me; I’ve unfortunately always used Finale! But, I was so tired! So, I did what anyone would do…I downloaded the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy and cried for two hours! It was so sad, but I’m still obsessed with that show!
As the evening progressed, I decided that it would be smart to stay in for the night to get some work done. Then, I talked to Martina. Her, Sofia, and one of their friends were making dinner and watching Idol. Since the gathering seemed harmless, I went over for an amazing meal! Sofia is a great cook! We had a tomato and cucumber salad, baked potato strips, pork fillets with mushroom sauce, and pineapple pie for desert. I definitely am friends with the right people! :) I was just going to go home after dinner and Idol (the guy I like got into the next round!), but the girls said that there was a house party nearby that they were going to…
…Hum. What to do? The thought of just going back to my apartment all by myself was a little depressing. And, how much work would I really get done? I wasn’t going to drink, so I could still get work done on Saturday…
…yeah. It doesn’t take much to convince me to be social! :) I ended up having such a great time! The house was really nice, and packed with people. I still find it so funny that there were about 50+ pairs of shoes sitting by the doorway…silly Swedes! I met a lot of new people throughout the night. People my age do enjoy speaking English, and are much more comfortable doing so when they are drinking! Plus, I’m getting so much more comfortable, and am really able to be myself...which is the BEST feeling in the world. I am mostly hanging around with my barlag (bartending team: Martina, Sarah, Astrid, David. Plus Sofia, Caroline and a few others). I’m so thankful that they are so amazing! The whole evening was filled with a lot of laughs. It seems that when Swedish people get drunk and try to speak English they resort to the Borat accent to be funny. And, it really is! Who would have thought we would click so well?!
Now, it’s Saturday around noon. I’ve already been to the grocery store and am truly focused on getting some work done. Although the stress is annoying, I do love it, and am not about to sacrifice a fun weekend in Sweden to be a nerd!!
25.9.09
Friends with Photoshop...
Upon learning the title of the piece I'm writing, my good friend from Eastman, Erin, quickly responded with the comment that it sounded like a new energy drink! She sent me this photo, and I thought it deserved a blog post...
Haha, I love it! I couldn't stop laughing when I saw it. Thanks, Erin!
24.9.09
Employed!
I am definitely going to be teaching at the Medborgarskolan! Thanks for all the positive thoughts and prayers, I know they helped :)
As soon as I met Anita this morning, I knew that things were going to go well. She had a lot of energy, and I could tell she was a very creative and supportive woman. Along with Sven-Åke, we discussed which of my ideas would be best to start with. We decided to advertise private lessons in beginner’s piano, and the Piteå Junk Jammers for now. I really do enjoy community outreach projects; it’s so rewarding to introduce something new and fun to both musicians and non-musicians. I really hope that we get a good response!
The next step is to see how many people sign up for the classes. My salary will depend on this response. For the weekly piano lessons, I will teach a new student every 20 minutes, and get 120Kr and hour. I would usually get that much per lesson in the States, but that number is set for all private lesson teachers at the school.
For Junk Jammers, my payment will depend on the amount of students that sign up. I requested at least 200Kr for a 45 minute class. Ideally, I’ll get enough students to do 2 or 3 classes a week. (Therefore, one week would almost cover a one-way ticket to Stockholm! Also, since I'm a student and I won't be making that much, I'm going to fill out paperwork so that I don't have to pay taxes! woohoo!)
I would like to have a class for young kids, adults, and elderly. Anita has connections at a few retired communities that she is going to contact. I need to write up a bit of propaganda tonight, and make some posters to hang around town. Hopefully, I’ll start teaching as soon as my recital is over!
Read (translate) more about Piteå Medborgarskolan
The recital prep is going really well! I decided to call my piece Hittade. It means ‘found’ in Swedish. I thought it was clever, because I’m ‘finding’ a new me, plus it has the English word ‘hit’ in it…and, you know, percussionists hit things!
The rest of the day was filled with a lot of practice, as other random meetings. The Swedish language course finally met, but just to decide when we are all free to meet on a weekly basis. I finally met all the other international students, including a really nice girl from Transylvanian in Romanian! She promised she doesn’t have any fangs.
As soon as I met Anita this morning, I knew that things were going to go well. She had a lot of energy, and I could tell she was a very creative and supportive woman. Along with Sven-Åke, we discussed which of my ideas would be best to start with. We decided to advertise private lessons in beginner’s piano, and the Piteå Junk Jammers for now. I really do enjoy community outreach projects; it’s so rewarding to introduce something new and fun to both musicians and non-musicians. I really hope that we get a good response!
The next step is to see how many people sign up for the classes. My salary will depend on this response. For the weekly piano lessons, I will teach a new student every 20 minutes, and get 120Kr and hour. I would usually get that much per lesson in the States, but that number is set for all private lesson teachers at the school.
For Junk Jammers, my payment will depend on the amount of students that sign up. I requested at least 200Kr for a 45 minute class. Ideally, I’ll get enough students to do 2 or 3 classes a week. (Therefore, one week would almost cover a one-way ticket to Stockholm! Also, since I'm a student and I won't be making that much, I'm going to fill out paperwork so that I don't have to pay taxes! woohoo!)
I would like to have a class for young kids, adults, and elderly. Anita has connections at a few retired communities that she is going to contact. I need to write up a bit of propaganda tonight, and make some posters to hang around town. Hopefully, I’ll start teaching as soon as my recital is over!
Read (translate) more about Piteå Medborgarskolan
The recital prep is going really well! I decided to call my piece Hittade. It means ‘found’ in Swedish. I thought it was clever, because I’m ‘finding’ a new me, plus it has the English word ‘hit’ in it…and, you know, percussionists hit things!
The rest of the day was filled with a lot of practice, as other random meetings. The Swedish language course finally met, but just to decide when we are all free to meet on a weekly basis. I finally met all the other international students, including a really nice girl from Transylvanian in Romanian! She promised she doesn’t have any fangs.
23.9.09
Thank you instincts
I’m home from my interview at the Medborgarskolan (citizen school), and it went wonderfully!! Today I met with Sven-Åke, who is in charge of the music classes, and tomorrow I have another interview at 10am to meet with his boss.
I really couldn’t have asked for a better interview or experience. I’m thankful that although I was exhausted last night, I typed up an additional, more detailed, summary of the two classes that I’m proposing to teach. (Go instincts!) When I presented my ideas and my credentials, Sven-Åke is totally on board! He inspired even more ideas as we chatted for about an hour.
If I get this job, I know that I will bring something new to the musical environment at this school, and I will learn so much as well. The first class I’m calling Free to Make Music. The music students at the school are all in bands (I think there are 11), varying in the genre of music they play (from punk to heavy metal to blues). I would meet with the groups and instigate creativity with free improvisation. So, not like “we’re writing a song”, but striving to really listen to each other, and learn a deeper understanding of the potential of each instrument. I think that there is so much awesome potential for this type of ‘jam’!
I’m calling the other class Junk Jammers. Sven-Åke suggested that I gear this class towards the drummers, which makes me thrilled because I can use more complex rhythms and ideas if they already have a background in drumming. However, I do want to explore the idea of bringing in non-musicians, any age, and any background (disabled included) to create a fun and united atmosphere through rhythm and music. The possibilities are endless!!
Sven-Åke also asked me to outline a class for group piano. I’m racking my brain trying to think of a curriculum that I’m comfortable with, and am going to do some research tonight. I wish I had Dr. Azzara’s book right now, and all of my other books and notes! I’ll think of something creative….
We also talked for a long time about Sweden in general; you know the normal “Why Piteå?” question. It’s always fun to answer and tell my silly little story. He is from even farther up north, by the Ice Hotel (I don’t know how to spell the name of the town, and am too lazy to look it up!), and said that I will definitely have to check it out at some point this year (hopefully with my Aunt Betsy. Did you get your passport yet, Aunt B?)
He also showed me some You Tube clips of some of his favorite drummers. It was fun to listen to be introduced to some new, crazy drummers! It’s really funny, because not many people know about Eastman here, but they are well aware of Berklee. I think it’s great that I’m getting to work with musicians with a totally different perspective and background that me.
This is a clip of Morgan Ågren. This is one video (lesson 7) of a series of instructional videos that were aired on Swedish public television. It’s funny just because he goes from the really simple base rhythm, to crazy, with nothing in between!
So, if tomorrow goes well, I will be on cloud nine! I’m hoping to teach as much as possible, at least a few classes a week in the evenings. Please keep the positive thoughts coming my way! I know it’s helped so far!
My other goal for tomorrow is to figure out how to put an ad in the paper to be a babysitter or nanny. Hum…I love figuring out all these random issues!
I really couldn’t have asked for a better interview or experience. I’m thankful that although I was exhausted last night, I typed up an additional, more detailed, summary of the two classes that I’m proposing to teach. (Go instincts!) When I presented my ideas and my credentials, Sven-Åke is totally on board! He inspired even more ideas as we chatted for about an hour.
If I get this job, I know that I will bring something new to the musical environment at this school, and I will learn so much as well. The first class I’m calling Free to Make Music. The music students at the school are all in bands (I think there are 11), varying in the genre of music they play (from punk to heavy metal to blues). I would meet with the groups and instigate creativity with free improvisation. So, not like “we’re writing a song”, but striving to really listen to each other, and learn a deeper understanding of the potential of each instrument. I think that there is so much awesome potential for this type of ‘jam’!
I’m calling the other class Junk Jammers. Sven-Åke suggested that I gear this class towards the drummers, which makes me thrilled because I can use more complex rhythms and ideas if they already have a background in drumming. However, I do want to explore the idea of bringing in non-musicians, any age, and any background (disabled included) to create a fun and united atmosphere through rhythm and music. The possibilities are endless!!
Sven-Åke also asked me to outline a class for group piano. I’m racking my brain trying to think of a curriculum that I’m comfortable with, and am going to do some research tonight. I wish I had Dr. Azzara’s book right now, and all of my other books and notes! I’ll think of something creative….
We also talked for a long time about Sweden in general; you know the normal “Why Piteå?” question. It’s always fun to answer and tell my silly little story. He is from even farther up north, by the Ice Hotel (I don’t know how to spell the name of the town, and am too lazy to look it up!), and said that I will definitely have to check it out at some point this year (hopefully with my Aunt Betsy. Did you get your passport yet, Aunt B?)
He also showed me some You Tube clips of some of his favorite drummers. It was fun to listen to be introduced to some new, crazy drummers! It’s really funny, because not many people know about Eastman here, but they are well aware of Berklee. I think it’s great that I’m getting to work with musicians with a totally different perspective and background that me.
This is a clip of Morgan Ågren. This is one video (lesson 7) of a series of instructional videos that were aired on Swedish public television. It’s funny just because he goes from the really simple base rhythm, to crazy, with nothing in between!
So, if tomorrow goes well, I will be on cloud nine! I’m hoping to teach as much as possible, at least a few classes a week in the evenings. Please keep the positive thoughts coming my way! I know it’s helped so far!
My other goal for tomorrow is to figure out how to put an ad in the paper to be a babysitter or nanny. Hum…I love figuring out all these random issues!
Maybe I'll just be a movie star!
Maybe not! But, I had a lot of fun at a filming of a Swedish movie!
Tonight I spent 3 hours with other Piteåns (I don't know if that's correct, but it sounds good), at a small theatre in town. We were "acting" like members of an audience for a play in a huge Swedish film being shot here. It's called "I Miss You" and will come out next year. Evidentally, it's a big deal, and is supposed to be really popular! Although we did a lot of waiting and sitting, the experience was pretty cool, and something that I never expected to do!
So, now I can say that I was in a Swedish movie...mark that off the Life "To-Do" list! :)
Tomorrow my interview is at 10am! Have to go do some last minute preparations! Wish me luck!
Tonight I spent 3 hours with other Piteåns (I don't know if that's correct, but it sounds good), at a small theatre in town. We were "acting" like members of an audience for a play in a huge Swedish film being shot here. It's called "I Miss You" and will come out next year. Evidentally, it's a big deal, and is supposed to be really popular! Although we did a lot of waiting and sitting, the experience was pretty cool, and something that I never expected to do!
Friends Sara and Caroline were hired to help out with the crowd! They did an awesome job (even though I never knew what they were saying to us!)
We waited in a big room until they were done shooting another scene in the theatre.
The set
Astrid and I are ready for our close up! She made a great dinner for us before coming to the shoot. She spent the last year and a half working in New Zealand. It was great getting to know her better, she has a very independent spirit that I respect a ton! Plus, she still "thinks" in English because of where she was living...not to mention the fact that she has an Australian boyfriend!
The very attractive man that holds the mic :) We were sitting there forever...and needed to be entertained somehow!
Everyone was running around in different directions.
Makeup touch up - on their feet!
Director dude. After each take he would say "Perfect! Let's do it again!" (In Swedish of course)
This poor actress looked terrified the entire time she was on stage. I did feel bad for her...she had to stand there and stare at us forever!
Camera!
Tomorrow my interview is at 10am! Have to go do some last minute preparations! Wish me luck!
22.9.09
Random stuff!
Two weeks and two days until my first performance in Piteå!! I'm getting really excited, but nervous too! Things are starting to fall into place, though. I found someone to make posters, and the performance will definitely be professionally recorded. I would still love to find a lighting engineer to help set the atmosphere for each piece, but if that doesn't happen, we'll survive. Kyle is arriving on October 2 so we will have plenty of time to rehearse.
Today I finished the marimba solo! Now, I just need to put it into Finale and expand the percussion parts (I just have a bare sketch/ideas written out). I'm still trying to think of a title. I'm usually pretty good at coming up with names for pieces, but for some reason I haven't thought of anything that I really like. I would like the title to reflect upon the experiences that I've had here the past few weeks, as my creative energy from this journey has gone straight into the music! I'll post the full program once I think of the title. Suggestions are welcome!
I did eat lunch at Kåren today! I had a veggie wrap and apple, and was pleased to see Sarah, Martina, and Sofia there. There were a TON of new faces, but I did see Phil, the other American!! When Martina and I were having coffee yesterday, he walked past her window. She told me that she thought he was the other American that is in Piteå. So, I ran out the door and ran after him yelling "Are you American?!?! Are you American!?!?" He had headphones on and looked at me like I had four heads! But, once I explained to him that I was from Ohio, he understood why I was screaming at him. He is a pianist and composer from Oregon. He asked me to help him learn how to write for percussion, so that should be fun!
The next two days are going to be a ton of fun. I have to practice super early tomorrow, because I have plans all day. At 1:30 I'm meeting up with Matilda for an interview. She is studying radio, and has to conduct some sort of interview. She took advantage of my willingness to please everyone here and tendency to say "yes", and asked me to be her interviewee. I don’t really know what to expect, but I do think it will be fun!
Then, at 4pm I'm going to Astrid's for dinner. We have to eat early, because at 5:30pm we're going to be extras in a Swedish MOVIE!!! Haha, this is totally random, but they are filming a movie here in Piteå, and need an audience for one of the scenes. Talk about an adventure…I will take tons of pictures :)
I have big news! On Wednesday, I have an interview to teach music classes at the community school!!!!!!!!!!! I finally got a hold of the music director, and he seemed to respond positively to my ideas, language barrier or not. (Music is the universal language, so come on!). I'm proposing to teach a free imoprov class, where I will call upon influences such as Anders, Bill Cahn's Creative Music Making, and my experiences with OSU percussion to create an environment where any group of musicians, regardless of ability, can come together and create music. I also want to do a Stomp-esk group, like I did at Dazzle. I'm curious to find out what the director will want me to do as well. I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about after the meeting. Please pray that this opportunity works out!
And, the last random thought of the day: Check out my best buddy from OSU. So proud of you, Lizzle:)
Hook 'Em Horns
Today I finished the marimba solo! Now, I just need to put it into Finale and expand the percussion parts (I just have a bare sketch/ideas written out). I'm still trying to think of a title. I'm usually pretty good at coming up with names for pieces, but for some reason I haven't thought of anything that I really like. I would like the title to reflect upon the experiences that I've had here the past few weeks, as my creative energy from this journey has gone straight into the music! I'll post the full program once I think of the title. Suggestions are welcome!
I did eat lunch at Kåren today! I had a veggie wrap and apple, and was pleased to see Sarah, Martina, and Sofia there. There were a TON of new faces, but I did see Phil, the other American!! When Martina and I were having coffee yesterday, he walked past her window. She told me that she thought he was the other American that is in Piteå. So, I ran out the door and ran after him yelling "Are you American?!?! Are you American!?!?" He had headphones on and looked at me like I had four heads! But, once I explained to him that I was from Ohio, he understood why I was screaming at him. He is a pianist and composer from Oregon. He asked me to help him learn how to write for percussion, so that should be fun!
The next two days are going to be a ton of fun. I have to practice super early tomorrow, because I have plans all day. At 1:30 I'm meeting up with Matilda for an interview. She is studying radio, and has to conduct some sort of interview. She took advantage of my willingness to please everyone here and tendency to say "yes", and asked me to be her interviewee. I don’t really know what to expect, but I do think it will be fun!
Then, at 4pm I'm going to Astrid's for dinner. We have to eat early, because at 5:30pm we're going to be extras in a Swedish MOVIE!!! Haha, this is totally random, but they are filming a movie here in Piteå, and need an audience for one of the scenes. Talk about an adventure…I will take tons of pictures :)
I have big news! On Wednesday, I have an interview to teach music classes at the community school!!!!!!!!!!! I finally got a hold of the music director, and he seemed to respond positively to my ideas, language barrier or not. (Music is the universal language, so come on!). I'm proposing to teach a free imoprov class, where I will call upon influences such as Anders, Bill Cahn's Creative Music Making, and my experiences with OSU percussion to create an environment where any group of musicians, regardless of ability, can come together and create music. I also want to do a Stomp-esk group, like I did at Dazzle. I'm curious to find out what the director will want me to do as well. I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about after the meeting. Please pray that this opportunity works out!
And, the last random thought of the day: Check out my best buddy from OSU. So proud of you, Lizzle:)
Hook 'Em Horns
20.9.09
A berry nice Sunday!
I had the most incredible day! During the party last night, Martina, Sofia, and I decided that we would go hiking today. The trail that I ran on earlier this week has many other paths that are fun to explore. We decided to meet up around noon.
I got up early to do some laundry, which definitely needed to be done, and then met the girls at 12:30. The trail we hiked/walked was called Pig Mountain, which is just weird and random.
We decided to pick some blueberries and lingonberries on our escapade. It’s crazy to me that you can just pick berries anywhere and they are edible and delicious! You can eat them right off the ground if you’d like, and we collected a ton to do some baking.
After we finished exploring we went to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for the pie, and for lunch. Martina knew of a different grocery store (called ICA) than the big one in town that is cheaper than the tiny store across the street. It’s only a 5 minute walk! Sofia and I were excited to discover a new store so close.
We went back to Martina’s (because her place is so nice! Her mom was visiting this week and they decorated it together. I will be spending a lot of time there!) to cook lunch and the pie. Sofia made a mushroom, broccoli, onion, pasta dish that was incredible! Martina washed and picked the stems off the berries, while I made the crust. It was the most delicious meal ever!!! Seriously, I wish that I could send everyone in the states a piece of our pie…..mmmmmmmm!! The three of us decided that we are going to try to do something new, fun, and active every Sunday. Here's a little video of the berry filled day:
I spent the rest of the afternoon (what little was left of it) getting some work done. Then, I got a text message from Linda asking me to have some tea. She is so nice! I went over to her place and we chatted for about an hour catching up on everything that has happened this week. She is going to Stockholm tomorrow to do some recording for a composer, and will start student teaching soon. We also compared her experiences while studying at Berklee last year with the craziness that has occurred in my life the past couple of weeks. The similarities were astounding! It’s nice to have friends that understand how I’m feeling. Next weekend we decided that we are going to plan a big outing into town one of the nights! It should be fun!
I feel so lucky to have met these girls! Tomorrow my goal is to go to the Kåren for lunch. Most students either buy lunch there, or bring it from home (which is what I will do). I haven’t gone yet, because I was intimidated. I didn’t think I would recognize anyone to eat with so I’ve been coming home for lunch. I think that I know enough people now to feel confident enough! We’ll see!!
I got up early to do some laundry, which definitely needed to be done, and then met the girls at 12:30. The trail we hiked/walked was called Pig Mountain, which is just weird and random.
We decided to pick some blueberries and lingonberries on our escapade. It’s crazy to me that you can just pick berries anywhere and they are edible and delicious! You can eat them right off the ground if you’d like, and we collected a ton to do some baking.
After we finished exploring we went to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for the pie, and for lunch. Martina knew of a different grocery store (called ICA) than the big one in town that is cheaper than the tiny store across the street. It’s only a 5 minute walk! Sofia and I were excited to discover a new store so close.
We went back to Martina’s (because her place is so nice! Her mom was visiting this week and they decorated it together. I will be spending a lot of time there!) to cook lunch and the pie. Sofia made a mushroom, broccoli, onion, pasta dish that was incredible! Martina washed and picked the stems off the berries, while I made the crust. It was the most delicious meal ever!!! Seriously, I wish that I could send everyone in the states a piece of our pie…..mmmmmmmm!! The three of us decided that we are going to try to do something new, fun, and active every Sunday. Here's a little video of the berry filled day:
I spent the rest of the afternoon (what little was left of it) getting some work done. Then, I got a text message from Linda asking me to have some tea. She is so nice! I went over to her place and we chatted for about an hour catching up on everything that has happened this week. She is going to Stockholm tomorrow to do some recording for a composer, and will start student teaching soon. We also compared her experiences while studying at Berklee last year with the craziness that has occurred in my life the past couple of weeks. The similarities were astounding! It’s nice to have friends that understand how I’m feeling. Next weekend we decided that we are going to plan a big outing into town one of the nights! It should be fun!
I feel so lucky to have met these girls! Tomorrow my goal is to go to the Kåren for lunch. Most students either buy lunch there, or bring it from home (which is what I will do). I haven’t gone yet, because I was intimidated. I didn’t think I would recognize anyone to eat with so I’ve been coming home for lunch. I think that I know enough people now to feel confident enough! We’ll see!!
My sweet pad
Just a few pics of what my apartment looks like now!
This is what you see when you first walk in. My coat rack, filled with a lot of sweaters, jackets and hats! Did you know that you always remove your shoes when entering an apartment or house in Sweden? No matter what!
Directly to the right of the doorway is the tiny, but very functional, kitchen.
To help separate the kitchen and entry from the bathroom and main room, I hung some fun decorations that mom and I bought before I left. I know it's a little tacky, but it makes me smile!! To the right is the bathroom door where you see my index cards of Swedish words and phrases "of the day". :)
The bathroom is nicer now that I have a rug. I finally figured out how to take a shower without getting water all over the floor. It takes skill.
This is the main room. It's amazing that everything matches! The curtains are from Daniel and Arianna (they are hung by a piece of yarn!). The bed sheets are from Anders and Anne and the sheet to cover the couch is from mom and dad. I bought the rug and the hanging lamp from a second hand store, and the maps at a store equivalent to a Walmart. I didn't tell anyone about a specific color scheme, it just kind of happened! For a small budget, I'm pretty happy with it!
This is my desk space and jewelry display. Notice that I hung my earrings on the CD rack. I thought it was pretty ingenious!
My place slowly starting to fill up and feel more "homey". I just want it to feel nice and cozy when winter comes!
First “Real” Weekend
…and by that I mean that I actually had a social life this weekend! After 3 weeks here, I was due to actually go out and see what the Piteå nightlife was all about.
On Friday, the Kåren (student union building and where I’ll be bartending with my team) was hosting a club night. I planned on going with a few of my new friends, and had no idea what to expect.
I started the evening off at Martina’s apartment, which is in the building behind mine. Our places are exactly the same, except hers is beautifully decorated and filled with a lot of things (as opposed to my empty place!) We had a few glasses of wine and got to know each other a little bit. Her life is really fascinating. She grew up in the mountains of Sweden with only 11 people in her village! To get to an actual town they had to travel 100km. Then, when she was 16 (she’s now 25) she moved out, and has been traveling ever since. She’s been to Argentina, Chile, throughout Europe, India, and many other places. It would crack me up when she would start a story like “when I was in Fiji…”. She lived in Oslo for a few months and she may come with me when I go in November to teach with Anders. This is the beginning of a great friendship for sure!
After we were done sharing stories, we met up with our friends Sarah and Caroline before heading to a party at a girl’s apartment that I didn’t know. Then, all of a sudden I realized that the party was being held at my next door neighbor’s! I couldn’t believe it. Her name is Emelie and I hadn’t had the chance to introduce myself yet. We had a good laugh when we finally did meet.
The party was pretty cool. A lot of people kept asking me about parties in the states and if it’s the same as in all the college movies. I think I may have to have a beer pong party one of these days (considering no one knows how to play here)…with the red cups and everything. It would be a big hit! We played a few fun drinking games that involved clapping with numbers, and everyone was impressed that I could count to 10 in Swedish all by myself!
By the time we left to go to the Kåren, I was already tired, but followed the crowd anyway. Unfortunately, it was the coldest night that we’ve had yet, and everyone is saying that winter is very near! I actually can’t wait for the snow!
The “Club” at the Kåren was pretty cool. I got in for free since I’m on a bartending team, which is nice! There were a lot of people dancing and small groups hanging out and talking. I met a few new people, but mainly stuck by the people I knew. It was a little different that going out in the States because it was ONLY people from school. It’s good for me because I’m meeting everyone, but it seems like there is a lot of drama that goes on! I heard many stories throughout the evening!
I was home by 2am and crashed pretty quickly! End part one of the weekend….
------
On Saturday Matilda invited me to a party. Matilda is great and had tons of energy. She spent a year in L.A. as a nanny and is really easy to get along with. She said she would call when she was in my building, because that’s where the pre-party was at. However when she called me, I went up to the 4th floor and couldn’t find her. All of the buildings look the same in this area and are just numbered 79B, 81A, 85A, etc. She thought she was in my building, but she wasn’t! I wondered around for awhile until we could figure out where she was. It was an hysterically confusing moment!
I didn’t know anyone else at this small get together, but everyone was really nice. They all had very Swedish names that I could barely pronounce, so I renamed everyone with Joe or Bob or Megan. :) Also, this weekend I learned that when people go out here, they always bring there own drinks no matter what. I’m broke, so I don’t think I’m going to be doing much drinking, which is healthier, so that’s good!
I had a really funny conversation with a guy about names in the US. He couldn’t understand why anyone would name their kid Dick. I tried to explain that it was a shortened version of Richard, but he still didn’t get it. And, the more I thought about it…neither do I!
After this pre-party, we all went to the actual party. It was nice knowing more people as we headed to a new apartment with a ton of people in it. I had a blast the whole time I was there! All of my new friends were there, and it was better environment than the Kåren. I could easily talk to people and got to know a lot of new students. The weirdest thing is that most of the people that I am getting close to are not musicians. They are all majoring in TV, radio, event production, or something else in the media department. I’ve only met a handful of musicians (Linda and her friends, and the percussionists). Where are all the musicians!?!?!?! I’ll be excited when ensembles finally start, that’s for sure!
Overall, I think that Piteå is a pretty cool place on the weekends. I’m glad that I’m living in student housing so that I’m so close to the action! Plus, my new friends are AMAZING! I can't believe I've clicked with such great people already. I hope that this momentum doesn't stop!
On Friday, the Kåren (student union building and where I’ll be bartending with my team) was hosting a club night. I planned on going with a few of my new friends, and had no idea what to expect.
I started the evening off at Martina’s apartment, which is in the building behind mine. Our places are exactly the same, except hers is beautifully decorated and filled with a lot of things (as opposed to my empty place!) We had a few glasses of wine and got to know each other a little bit. Her life is really fascinating. She grew up in the mountains of Sweden with only 11 people in her village! To get to an actual town they had to travel 100km. Then, when she was 16 (she’s now 25) she moved out, and has been traveling ever since. She’s been to Argentina, Chile, throughout Europe, India, and many other places. It would crack me up when she would start a story like “when I was in Fiji…”. She lived in Oslo for a few months and she may come with me when I go in November to teach with Anders. This is the beginning of a great friendship for sure!
After we were done sharing stories, we met up with our friends Sarah and Caroline before heading to a party at a girl’s apartment that I didn’t know. Then, all of a sudden I realized that the party was being held at my next door neighbor’s! I couldn’t believe it. Her name is Emelie and I hadn’t had the chance to introduce myself yet. We had a good laugh when we finally did meet.
The party was pretty cool. A lot of people kept asking me about parties in the states and if it’s the same as in all the college movies. I think I may have to have a beer pong party one of these days (considering no one knows how to play here)…with the red cups and everything. It would be a big hit! We played a few fun drinking games that involved clapping with numbers, and everyone was impressed that I could count to 10 in Swedish all by myself!
Caroline, Hannah, me, and Martina at Emelie's
By the time we left to go to the Kåren, I was already tired, but followed the crowd anyway. Unfortunately, it was the coldest night that we’ve had yet, and everyone is saying that winter is very near! I actually can’t wait for the snow!
The “Club” at the Kåren was pretty cool. I got in for free since I’m on a bartending team, which is nice! There were a lot of people dancing and small groups hanging out and talking. I met a few new people, but mainly stuck by the people I knew. It was a little different that going out in the States because it was ONLY people from school. It’s good for me because I’m meeting everyone, but it seems like there is a lot of drama that goes on! I heard many stories throughout the evening!
Matilda and I at Kåren
Sara and Caroline dancing!
I was home by 2am and crashed pretty quickly! End part one of the weekend….
------
On Saturday Matilda invited me to a party. Matilda is great and had tons of energy. She spent a year in L.A. as a nanny and is really easy to get along with. She said she would call when she was in my building, because that’s where the pre-party was at. However when she called me, I went up to the 4th floor and couldn’t find her. All of the buildings look the same in this area and are just numbered 79B, 81A, 85A, etc. She thought she was in my building, but she wasn’t! I wondered around for awhile until we could figure out where she was. It was an hysterically confusing moment!
I didn’t know anyone else at this small get together, but everyone was really nice. They all had very Swedish names that I could barely pronounce, so I renamed everyone with Joe or Bob or Megan. :) Also, this weekend I learned that when people go out here, they always bring there own drinks no matter what. I’m broke, so I don’t think I’m going to be doing much drinking, which is healthier, so that’s good!
I had a really funny conversation with a guy about names in the US. He couldn’t understand why anyone would name their kid Dick. I tried to explain that it was a shortened version of Richard, but he still didn’t get it. And, the more I thought about it…neither do I!
After this pre-party, we all went to the actual party. It was nice knowing more people as we headed to a new apartment with a ton of people in it. I had a blast the whole time I was there! All of my new friends were there, and it was better environment than the Kåren. I could easily talk to people and got to know a lot of new students. The weirdest thing is that most of the people that I am getting close to are not musicians. They are all majoring in TV, radio, event production, or something else in the media department. I’ve only met a handful of musicians (Linda and her friends, and the percussionists). Where are all the musicians!?!?!?! I’ll be excited when ensembles finally start, that’s for sure!
Sofia, Martina and I walking home after the party!
Overall, I think that Piteå is a pretty cool place on the weekends. I’m glad that I’m living in student housing so that I’m so close to the action! Plus, my new friends are AMAZING! I can't believe I've clicked with such great people already. I hope that this momentum doesn't stop!
17.9.09
Idol
Tonight, I was tired after a busy day and craved some reality television (guilty pleasure, I know) when I finally got home. However, without a TV it is hard to accommodate such needs! Since I only have my computer, You Tube has become my new source of entertainment. I've tried to watch episodes of my favorite shows on abc.com, or a similar network, but they don’t allow access to the programs from other countries! LAME!
I watched clips of the MTV Video Music Awards, and finally saw why everyone thinks Kanye is such a jerk (although I think he’s more sad and pathetic than anything). I sifted through a few clips of Ellen’s show, laughed through all of the Improv Everywhere videos, and even got caught up on America’s Got Talent (why the heck did Kevin Skinner win?!?! Evidentially, America wouldn't know what talent is if it hit them in the face…and don’t even get me started on Recycled Percussion!)
Since my American reality shows were letting me down, I decided to search for some TV shows in Swedish. I haven’t been studying on my own this week, so my vocabulary isn’t increasing like it should be. I thought it would be fun to see if I could pick up anything from the videos. While browsing through a lot of weird stuff, I stumbled upon Swedish Idol 2009! I watched most of the videos posted, and thought this guy was pretty good (plus, the judges crack me up):
I have no idea what anyone is saying.
Now, I’m actually going to bed before midnight! God natt!
I watched clips of the MTV Video Music Awards, and finally saw why everyone thinks Kanye is such a jerk (although I think he’s more sad and pathetic than anything). I sifted through a few clips of Ellen’s show, laughed through all of the Improv Everywhere videos, and even got caught up on America’s Got Talent (why the heck did Kevin Skinner win?!?! Evidentially, America wouldn't know what talent is if it hit them in the face…and don’t even get me started on Recycled Percussion!)
Since my American reality shows were letting me down, I decided to search for some TV shows in Swedish. I haven’t been studying on my own this week, so my vocabulary isn’t increasing like it should be. I thought it would be fun to see if I could pick up anything from the videos. While browsing through a lot of weird stuff, I stumbled upon Swedish Idol 2009! I watched most of the videos posted, and thought this guy was pretty good (plus, the judges crack me up):
I have no idea what anyone is saying.
Now, I’m actually going to bed before midnight! God natt!
16.9.09
The Box
Thinking outside of “the box” is just going to have to be my slogan for this year. (No, I can’t define what “the box” actually is…you know what I mean, just go with it…)
I know I’ve mentioned my financial stresses numerous times already, and I really am doing my best to stay positive and have faith that everything will work out, but it is really hard and quite weird spending so much when there is no income at the moment.
I'm still trying to get ahold of the citizen school (community school) to see if I can teach some classes. Hopefully I will get through soon. I just need to be working! It's driving me nuts!
So, since this plan is still in the works, I’m trying to think of new ways to earn a few kroner. Here are some of my ideas:
- Accompany dance classes on hand drums (shout out to Joe Krygier!). Micke (my advisor…I was spelling his name wrong in the last few entries, whoops) talked with the dance class organizer again today, but no news yet.
- Put an ad in the local paper as an English speaking nanny/babysitter. Parents should want their kids to practice speaking the language, right?
- There are a lot of cafés in town that hire live music. I’m trying to create a repertoire list that is accessible for a small venue. Moments like this…I think should have picked the clarinet.
- Put up signs in schools to see if any singers/guitar players (there are a ton of them at the school) want a chick drummer in their group for gigs
- Contact high schools in my hometown to do some master classes/clinics while I’m home in December
- Work at my cousin's Subway again while I’m home in December…(good news, huh Em?)
Any other ideas? Nothing is out of the question at this point!
I’ve been brainstorming all day, as well as Googling and researching possible grant and scholarship opportunities for next semester. I think that my story/plan is worth an investment for a foundation, but I just can’t find any that are interested. I’m in a foreign country, collaborating with teachers, composers, and performers, and recording my work!! I mean come on people! Help me out! But, it is “the arts”…and even when we’re not in a horrible economic state, it’s hard to find support.
Sigh.
Alright, that’s enough of that. Sense a little bit of the frustration? Good thing mom and I Skyped tonight. She made me feel a lot better, so…thanks mom :)
On a positive note, I had an AMAZING day in the practice room. I split the day into three chucks of time. In the morning I focused on the duo/trio recital music, in the afternoon I worked on my piece, and in the evening I did some improve work on the vibes. This schedule seemed to really be focused and productive, so I’m going to continue with this structure the next few days and see how it goes.
Oh, yeah…and I have a meeting on Friday with the Accelerator program executive. She’s going to help me collaborate with the other departments in the school (lighting designers, sound engineers, dancers, etc…) for my recitals. I’m sure I’ll have a lot to write after going over my ideas with her!
I know I’ve mentioned my financial stresses numerous times already, and I really am doing my best to stay positive and have faith that everything will work out, but it is really hard and quite weird spending so much when there is no income at the moment.
I'm still trying to get ahold of the citizen school (community school) to see if I can teach some classes. Hopefully I will get through soon. I just need to be working! It's driving me nuts!
So, since this plan is still in the works, I’m trying to think of new ways to earn a few kroner. Here are some of my ideas:
- Accompany dance classes on hand drums (shout out to Joe Krygier!). Micke (my advisor…I was spelling his name wrong in the last few entries, whoops) talked with the dance class organizer again today, but no news yet.
- Put an ad in the local paper as an English speaking nanny/babysitter. Parents should want their kids to practice speaking the language, right?
- There are a lot of cafés in town that hire live music. I’m trying to create a repertoire list that is accessible for a small venue. Moments like this…I think should have picked the clarinet.
- Put up signs in schools to see if any singers/guitar players (there are a ton of them at the school) want a chick drummer in their group for gigs
- Contact high schools in my hometown to do some master classes/clinics while I’m home in December
- Work at my cousin's Subway again while I’m home in December…(good news, huh Em?)
Any other ideas? Nothing is out of the question at this point!
I’ve been brainstorming all day, as well as Googling and researching possible grant and scholarship opportunities for next semester. I think that my story/plan is worth an investment for a foundation, but I just can’t find any that are interested. I’m in a foreign country, collaborating with teachers, composers, and performers, and recording my work!! I mean come on people! Help me out! But, it is “the arts”…and even when we’re not in a horrible economic state, it’s hard to find support.
Sigh.
Alright, that’s enough of that. Sense a little bit of the frustration? Good thing mom and I Skyped tonight. She made me feel a lot better, so…thanks mom :)
On a positive note, I had an AMAZING day in the practice room. I split the day into three chucks of time. In the morning I focused on the duo/trio recital music, in the afternoon I worked on my piece, and in the evening I did some improve work on the vibes. This schedule seemed to really be focused and productive, so I’m going to continue with this structure the next few days and see how it goes.
Oh, yeah…and I have a meeting on Friday with the Accelerator program executive. She’s going to help me collaborate with the other departments in the school (lighting designers, sound engineers, dancers, etc…) for my recitals. I’m sure I’ll have a lot to write after going over my ideas with her!
15.9.09
Trying to find a routine
I had an eventful day. It’s surprising how busy I can be without taking classes, but I'm still trying to find the perfect routine. Now that I am here for 3 straight weeks, and have the recital to focus on, I think I'll be able to get into a schedule...hopefully sooner than later!
I tried to wake up early to go running, but for some reason I stayed up a little past 2am last night getting work done/playing on facebook/sitting here staring at the wall. So, I ignored my alarm and didn’t wake up early, but I did go running. I found a great trail nearby that has three scenic routes through the woods, each a different distance. I picked the shortest loop (it’s been awhile!) because it was only 2.3K. I’ll be up to the 5K again in no time (hopefully…) I didn’t make it to school until a little after noon, but fitting in some exercise was worth it.
After practicing for a little bit (I was laying down some sequential sticking scales! Oh yeah! So exciting!), Daniel knocked on my door to chat about a few things. He is definitely playing with me and Kyle on the recital on Oct. 7! Woohoo! Since the conversation just kept on going, we decided to go up to one of the office lounges for some fika.
Daniel asked me what kind of expectations I had coming to Piteå, and if they were met. This instigated a very long response having to do with me moving to Sweden with only two real preconceived notions: 1. I would study with Anders (improvisation and composition) and 2. I would be responsible for my own success. Those two expectations have been realized, and I think that I’m enjoying everything even much more since I had no clue what to expect!
I asked Daniel more about the education system in Sweden, because it is very different than in the States. He also told me more about the group he plays with Norrbotten Neo, his job, and how he met Anders and Rolf. We also talked about collaborating more in the future, and possibly working with some composers here. This was the first time just Daniel and I have had the chance to sit down and really get to know one another. It was really pleasant!
Plus, the coffee was free…and one of the ladies gave us cookies :)
When we both realized how long we had been talking, we decided to head back down to the practice rooms. I focused my afternoon practice session on learning the duo and trio pieces for the recital.
I went home at about 5 for dinner and to check my email, then went back to school to practice around 7:30. This time, the focus was on my improving my piece. I tried implementing the suggestions that Anders and I discussed in our lessons, and I think it is really starting to grow and make more sense! I’m dreading putting into Finale/Sibelius (I still have to find that professor to give me access to the composition lab…). I can read my chicken scratch just fine!
I was actually pretty bummed when I had to leave the building at 10pm. Eastman people thought we had it bad with the building closing at 11pm!
Tomorrow, I MUST wake up earlier, so I am going to bed RIGHT NOW! :)
I tried to wake up early to go running, but for some reason I stayed up a little past 2am last night getting work done/playing on facebook/sitting here staring at the wall. So, I ignored my alarm and didn’t wake up early, but I did go running. I found a great trail nearby that has three scenic routes through the woods, each a different distance. I picked the shortest loop (it’s been awhile!) because it was only 2.3K. I’ll be up to the 5K again in no time (hopefully…) I didn’t make it to school until a little after noon, but fitting in some exercise was worth it.
After practicing for a little bit (I was laying down some sequential sticking scales! Oh yeah! So exciting!), Daniel knocked on my door to chat about a few things. He is definitely playing with me and Kyle on the recital on Oct. 7! Woohoo! Since the conversation just kept on going, we decided to go up to one of the office lounges for some fika.
Daniel asked me what kind of expectations I had coming to Piteå, and if they were met. This instigated a very long response having to do with me moving to Sweden with only two real preconceived notions: 1. I would study with Anders (improvisation and composition) and 2. I would be responsible for my own success. Those two expectations have been realized, and I think that I’m enjoying everything even much more since I had no clue what to expect!
I asked Daniel more about the education system in Sweden, because it is very different than in the States. He also told me more about the group he plays with Norrbotten Neo, his job, and how he met Anders and Rolf. We also talked about collaborating more in the future, and possibly working with some composers here. This was the first time just Daniel and I have had the chance to sit down and really get to know one another. It was really pleasant!
Plus, the coffee was free…and one of the ladies gave us cookies :)
When we both realized how long we had been talking, we decided to head back down to the practice rooms. I focused my afternoon practice session on learning the duo and trio pieces for the recital.
I went home at about 5 for dinner and to check my email, then went back to school to practice around 7:30. This time, the focus was on my improving my piece. I tried implementing the suggestions that Anders and I discussed in our lessons, and I think it is really starting to grow and make more sense! I’m dreading putting into Finale/Sibelius (I still have to find that professor to give me access to the composition lab…). I can read my chicken scratch just fine!
I was actually pretty bummed when I had to leave the building at 10pm. Eastman people thought we had it bad with the building closing at 11pm!
Tomorrow, I MUST wake up earlier, so I am going to bed RIGHT NOW! :)
I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more….just to be the one to get to the center of town, and survive a year in Northern Sweden.
I don’t think I’ve walked this much ever in my life! And, it’s not like I’m just taking a stroll around the neighborhood. My “walks” are always mission driven and usually come with accessories weighing down my stumpy little legs!
Today I had a lot on my “To-Do” list. After getting back from Stockholm, I was pretty worn out, and didn’t really do much over the weekend. I think doing my laundry and grocery shopping were as productive as I got. So, I had to make up for some laziness.
The day went like this:
1. 7am: Wake up! Write emails/organize things for 2 hours
2. 9am: Head over to school to use the printer in the library (print off résumé, job application, and draft of October recital program) and practice for a bit
3. 10am: Go into town to pick up package from mom and dad, buy stamps, send a few postcards. This is about the time I longed for Lil Fink (my car) to appear back in my life. From hauling my belongings from the bus stop after Stockholm, to hauling my groceries back home over the weekend, to carrying an awkward box....my feet are getting tired of carrying me to and from town with heavy things!
4. Noon: back at home to eat lunch, to unpack my things from the parents (yummy…peanut butter!! Thanks!) and to do more planning. Talk with Kyle, finalize plans for recital and stay in Stockholm in October. We’re going to stay in a hostel that’s on a boat!
5. 1:30pm: return to school to meet with Mike Langs (advisor) about a few things:
a. They are definitely teaching a Swedish language class for the students in Piteå! I can’t wait! Plus, I’ll get to meet all of the other international students.
b. Mike talked to the dance department coordinator to see if they will hire me to accompany some classes on hand drums. Keep your fingers crossed The money won’t be great, but it’s something! I’m spending way too much, too fast…
c. Volunteered to play in large ensembles. There aren’t too many classical musicians here, so orchestras/wind ensembles are few and far between. But, I still want to play.
d. Signed up for jazz combos.
e. Tried to get permission to use the composers/arrangers computer lab to use Finale as I’m writing my piece. Couldn’t find the professor, Jan, to help me. I’ll have to check tomorrow.
f. Told Mike that I want to help out with organizing a course Anders wants to start for percussionists. More on that later…
g. Mike rocks, and is always so helpful! I’m such a needy American!
6. 2pm – 6pm: practice. It wasn’t a very focused session. I was sleepy and scatterbrained. I need to plan out my practice time better tomorrow. I’ll probably try to get more done in the morning…I think I was in the mid-afternoon lull!
7. 6pm: Head to the Kårehuset (Kåren for short) for bartender training!
I don’t know why they are letting me volunteer to work the bar in the student union building (the Kåren), but they are! The people that are letting me in their group (the students I met my first week here…see earlier entry about that night!) are awesome, and were willing to go through the whole training process in English.
The Kåren hosts parties for students on Friday nights, and I’m part of one of the teams (barlag 2) that will volunteer twice a semester to bartend, check IDs, clean up, etc…The training was pretty simple, but I know I’m going to need some help. Previous work in food service will help the process…plus I feel pretty confident in my ability to learn on the spot and make things up
We did have to watch a video about how to handle different situations that you may encounter in a bar (people being too drunk, disputes within the team, etc…) that was totally in Swedish with no subtitles. It was pretty easy to follow the plot because of the gross overacting, and no matter what language it was in, it was pretty darn amusing.
My team is pretty cool, and I hope I get to hang out with them more. I am so thankful that they all seem pretty easy going and willing to help me out! It’s really easy to meet people here, mainly because I make them meet me (haha), but it’s been hard to make it past the first or second encounter. I do feel bad that I can’t communicate in Swedish, so I think that is deterring me from calling people. Hopefully I’ll get to know people more little by little.
Well, I better get to bed now! It’s about 12:30am here…silly time difference! Tomorrow I’m meeting with the director of the community school here in Piteå to see if I can start teaching there! I sent my résumé and ideas to him this morning, and he is interested! Hope this works out…keep your fingers crossed (again!)
I don’t think I’ve walked this much ever in my life! And, it’s not like I’m just taking a stroll around the neighborhood. My “walks” are always mission driven and usually come with accessories weighing down my stumpy little legs!
Today I had a lot on my “To-Do” list. After getting back from Stockholm, I was pretty worn out, and didn’t really do much over the weekend. I think doing my laundry and grocery shopping were as productive as I got. So, I had to make up for some laziness.
The day went like this:
1. 7am: Wake up! Write emails/organize things for 2 hours
2. 9am: Head over to school to use the printer in the library (print off résumé, job application, and draft of October recital program) and practice for a bit
3. 10am: Go into town to pick up package from mom and dad, buy stamps, send a few postcards. This is about the time I longed for Lil Fink (my car) to appear back in my life. From hauling my belongings from the bus stop after Stockholm, to hauling my groceries back home over the weekend, to carrying an awkward box....my feet are getting tired of carrying me to and from town with heavy things!
4. Noon: back at home to eat lunch, to unpack my things from the parents (yummy…peanut butter!! Thanks!) and to do more planning. Talk with Kyle, finalize plans for recital and stay in Stockholm in October. We’re going to stay in a hostel that’s on a boat!
5. 1:30pm: return to school to meet with Mike Langs (advisor) about a few things:
a. They are definitely teaching a Swedish language class for the students in Piteå! I can’t wait! Plus, I’ll get to meet all of the other international students.
b. Mike talked to the dance department coordinator to see if they will hire me to accompany some classes on hand drums. Keep your fingers crossed The money won’t be great, but it’s something! I’m spending way too much, too fast…
c. Volunteered to play in large ensembles. There aren’t too many classical musicians here, so orchestras/wind ensembles are few and far between. But, I still want to play.
d. Signed up for jazz combos.
e. Tried to get permission to use the composers/arrangers computer lab to use Finale as I’m writing my piece. Couldn’t find the professor, Jan, to help me. I’ll have to check tomorrow.
f. Told Mike that I want to help out with organizing a course Anders wants to start for percussionists. More on that later…
g. Mike rocks, and is always so helpful! I’m such a needy American!
6. 2pm – 6pm: practice. It wasn’t a very focused session. I was sleepy and scatterbrained. I need to plan out my practice time better tomorrow. I’ll probably try to get more done in the morning…I think I was in the mid-afternoon lull!
7. 6pm: Head to the Kårehuset (Kåren for short) for bartender training!
I don’t know why they are letting me volunteer to work the bar in the student union building (the Kåren), but they are! The people that are letting me in their group (the students I met my first week here…see earlier entry about that night!) are awesome, and were willing to go through the whole training process in English.
The Kåren hosts parties for students on Friday nights, and I’m part of one of the teams (barlag 2) that will volunteer twice a semester to bartend, check IDs, clean up, etc…The training was pretty simple, but I know I’m going to need some help. Previous work in food service will help the process…plus I feel pretty confident in my ability to learn on the spot and make things up
We did have to watch a video about how to handle different situations that you may encounter in a bar (people being too drunk, disputes within the team, etc…) that was totally in Swedish with no subtitles. It was pretty easy to follow the plot because of the gross overacting, and no matter what language it was in, it was pretty darn amusing.
My team is pretty cool, and I hope I get to hang out with them more. I am so thankful that they all seem pretty easy going and willing to help me out! It’s really easy to meet people here, mainly because I make them meet me (haha), but it’s been hard to make it past the first or second encounter. I do feel bad that I can’t communicate in Swedish, so I think that is deterring me from calling people. Hopefully I’ll get to know people more little by little.
Well, I better get to bed now! It’s about 12:30am here…silly time difference! Tomorrow I’m meeting with the director of the community school here in Piteå to see if I can start teaching there! I sent my résumé and ideas to him this morning, and he is interested! Hope this works out…keep your fingers crossed (again!)
13.9.09
Stockholm trip: Dag tre (day three)
When I woke up, I was exhausted!! Staying in a hostel is cheap, convenient, and great for the most part…except when you don’t bring your earplugs. It was a long night of counting sheep in as many languages as I could (even some made up ones) to try and tune out the snoring!
I spent the morning packing up to check out, and helping Aina find her key card. She must be late 70’s, early 80’s, and I can’t imagine traveling alone, staying in hostels, at that age. She couldn’t remember where she put it. We looked everywhere for about 30 minutes. I finally told her to go take a shower, and I would wait in the room to let her back in. Then we could go up to the desk to get her a new one. When she came back, she found it! It was in her passport case that hangs around her neck. Oh. My. I felt bad leaving her, and hope that she makes it back to Orlando safely.
Anders picked me up at about 10:30. He wanted to show me the view of Stockholm from Sodermalm (the southern island). Again, the weather was beautiful, and the view was spectacular! We saw several tour buses full of people, and we both agreed that a personal look at a foreign city is much better than following along in a bus.
After the sight-seeing, we had fika (coffee…and much needed for me, so tired!), and headed to the studio for one last session. We reviewed a lot of the concepts, and he assigned me some more material to work on. I’m going to sign up to play in a jazz combo or ensemble when I get back to school to get some more practice in.
At around 2pm, we called it a day. We made plans for me to return in October after my recital with Kyle. Then in November, I’m going to go to Norway with Anders, then back to Stockholm (for a lesson, and ‘New Moon’. hehe…), then to Paris for the marimba competition. Eastman and GPN (Global Percussion Network; Anders/Daniel/Rolf) are playing, plus I’ll be able to visit Kana! I am really excited for that trip!
I had lunch with Anders and Mike, the bass player that Anders plays with…they are going to Tampico, Mexico next week. We had lunch at the same café we ate at the first day with Tuva. I’m going to miss that place for sure! I went to the bus stop around 3pm to head back to the airport.
The bus was full, and I actually ended up falling asleep. Haha…but woke up as we approached the airport…no worries! When I checked in, I didn’t need a boarding pass again, and since I had the time I went to the information desk to ask about a frequent flyer card with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Anders suggested that I get one, so by the end of the year I may be able to get some free flights. Plus, SAS gives good deals to students. At the desk, the woman was very helpful, but they only had pamphlets and cards in Swedish. I had to walk all the way to the next terminal to the international service desk to get one, then walk all the way back. I know I looked like a goof with my backpack, messenger bag, coat, water bottle, and plastic bag with some extra sheets and towels that Anne gave me (so nice, I know!) Although it was a pain, I’m glad I got signed up for the card, plus, I got to count the points for this trip.
The flight was uneventful, and ironically, Linda was meeting a friend at the airport who was on the same flight! It was great to see her there in Luleå! We chatted for a bit, then parted ways…I’m sure we’ll hang out sometime this week.
Now, it was time for more bus traveling fun. For some reason, my stomach was in knots hoping that I would get home safe, and on the right buses! It was starting to get dark and rainy, which probably contributed to the anxiety. Plus, they were stopping at a ton of places that I didn’t recognize. I finally got to the main Luleå bus station, and had to wait 40 minutes for the bus to Piteå.
As I sat in the waiting room, and old man sat across from me and tried to talk to me. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, and I don’t think it was even Swedish. I told him that I spoke English, and he tried to run some words together…like ‘ying, yang, I know, serious, charisma, brain, left, right’ It was pretty hysterical; especially when he pulled a beer can out from his jacket pocket.
The bus to Piteå finally came, and for some reason the driver only charged me 39kr. Yay! Although I was tired and cranky, I was still amused that the bus system is called...
The ride back took f-o-r-e-v-e-r. We stopped at so many small towns, plus it was pouring down rain. I kept thinking, “please stop raining in Piteå, please, please, please!” To my surprise and delight…no rain in Piteå. Plus, some of the other passengers on the bus were students, so I discreetly followed them back to the apartment complex (I know my way around, but it was still nice to be confident that I was going the right way in the dark!)
It felt great to return to my apartment. It is actually starting to feel like home! I skyped with the parents, and went to bed! It was a great and exhausting 3 days!!!!! I can't believe that this is my life!!!!
I spent the morning packing up to check out, and helping Aina find her key card. She must be late 70’s, early 80’s, and I can’t imagine traveling alone, staying in hostels, at that age. She couldn’t remember where she put it. We looked everywhere for about 30 minutes. I finally told her to go take a shower, and I would wait in the room to let her back in. Then we could go up to the desk to get her a new one. When she came back, she found it! It was in her passport case that hangs around her neck. Oh. My. I felt bad leaving her, and hope that she makes it back to Orlando safely.
Anders picked me up at about 10:30. He wanted to show me the view of Stockholm from Sodermalm (the southern island). Again, the weather was beautiful, and the view was spectacular! We saw several tour buses full of people, and we both agreed that a personal look at a foreign city is much better than following along in a bus.
After the sight-seeing, we had fika (coffee…and much needed for me, so tired!), and headed to the studio for one last session. We reviewed a lot of the concepts, and he assigned me some more material to work on. I’m going to sign up to play in a jazz combo or ensemble when I get back to school to get some more practice in.
At around 2pm, we called it a day. We made plans for me to return in October after my recital with Kyle. Then in November, I’m going to go to Norway with Anders, then back to Stockholm (for a lesson, and ‘New Moon’. hehe…), then to Paris for the marimba competition. Eastman and GPN (Global Percussion Network; Anders/Daniel/Rolf) are playing, plus I’ll be able to visit Kana! I am really excited for that trip!
I had lunch with Anders and Mike, the bass player that Anders plays with…they are going to Tampico, Mexico next week. We had lunch at the same café we ate at the first day with Tuva. I’m going to miss that place for sure! I went to the bus stop around 3pm to head back to the airport.
The bus was full, and I actually ended up falling asleep. Haha…but woke up as we approached the airport…no worries! When I checked in, I didn’t need a boarding pass again, and since I had the time I went to the information desk to ask about a frequent flyer card with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Anders suggested that I get one, so by the end of the year I may be able to get some free flights. Plus, SAS gives good deals to students. At the desk, the woman was very helpful, but they only had pamphlets and cards in Swedish. I had to walk all the way to the next terminal to the international service desk to get one, then walk all the way back. I know I looked like a goof with my backpack, messenger bag, coat, water bottle, and plastic bag with some extra sheets and towels that Anne gave me (so nice, I know!) Although it was a pain, I’m glad I got signed up for the card, plus, I got to count the points for this trip.
The flight was uneventful, and ironically, Linda was meeting a friend at the airport who was on the same flight! It was great to see her there in Luleå! We chatted for a bit, then parted ways…I’m sure we’ll hang out sometime this week.
Now, it was time for more bus traveling fun. For some reason, my stomach was in knots hoping that I would get home safe, and on the right buses! It was starting to get dark and rainy, which probably contributed to the anxiety. Plus, they were stopping at a ton of places that I didn’t recognize. I finally got to the main Luleå bus station, and had to wait 40 minutes for the bus to Piteå.
As I sat in the waiting room, and old man sat across from me and tried to talk to me. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, and I don’t think it was even Swedish. I told him that I spoke English, and he tried to run some words together…like ‘ying, yang, I know, serious, charisma, brain, left, right’ It was pretty hysterical; especially when he pulled a beer can out from his jacket pocket.
The bus to Piteå finally came, and for some reason the driver only charged me 39kr. Yay! Although I was tired and cranky, I was still amused that the bus system is called...
The ride back took f-o-r-e-v-e-r. We stopped at so many small towns, plus it was pouring down rain. I kept thinking, “please stop raining in Piteå, please, please, please!” To my surprise and delight…no rain in Piteå. Plus, some of the other passengers on the bus were students, so I discreetly followed them back to the apartment complex (I know my way around, but it was still nice to be confident that I was going the right way in the dark!)
It felt great to return to my apartment. It is actually starting to feel like home! I skyped with the parents, and went to bed! It was a great and exhausting 3 days!!!!! I can't believe that this is my life!!!!
12.9.09
Stockholm trip: dag trå (day two)
The plan for the morning was to do some sightseeing on my own and meet up with Anders around 1pm again. Last night at dinner, Anne and Anders helped me sketch out a walking route on my map, so I knew exactly where to go! I began around 10am after eating a big breakfast at the hostel.
I took a short video, and then followed it with a slideshow of some of the pictures that I took. Once again, at the time I thought that narrating the video was a good idea, but not only do I sound silly, I got half of the information wrong! It was Thursday, September 10, and I’m sitting at the City Hall. Enjoy :)
Once again, the afternoon was filled with a lot of great information not only during the lessons, but even in between playing sessions as we chatted about the business and such. Right now, I am striving to feel more comfortable improvising within a tonal foundation. I feel that although I am confident with my sight reading and music theory abilities on paper, I want to feel more free and inspired when just walking up and playing on the keyboard. Anders gave me a lot of great info and I have a ton to do when returning to Piteå!
Once we parted ways for the day (Anders had some family plans), I practiced for a bit more. Once I felt that I couldn’t possible cram any more into my brain, I went back to the hostel. I had intended on seeing the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra perform Mahler No. 1, but decided it was too late to get across town…not to mention the thought of spending any more money was a bit painful. I decided to just walk down to the market to pick up some food for dinner and breakfast the next day and hang out. I purchased a salad with chicken, 2 rolls, 2 apples, a bottle of water, and a piece of chocolate ;) I went back to the hostel to eat at the community dining room.
I saw an older woman who was staying in my room sitting at a table. I had helped her get settled earlier in the day, and found out that she is originally from Sweden, but lives in Florida now. Her name is Aina, and she was traveling on her own. She just loved talking about everywhere she has been, and I felt bad that she didn’t seem to have many family members to share her stories. So, I went to sit with her and a young couple that we found out spoke English (French was their first language), and were from Switzerland.
The four of us had the most entertaining dinner! We must have sat there chatting for 3 hours. Beatrice and Alex (the couple) were so sweet, and live in Geneva. I asked them how they met...they ran into each other when buying groceries. They had already met each other when they were kids, about 10 years before, and recognized each other in front of the Asian food section. Alex followed Beatrice around the store until he eventually got her number!
We chatted about a little bit of everything, including some politics and foreign affairs (which I don’t talk about often! But, it was really interesting to get their perspectives on some issues, and it felt good to share my opinion!) They were also really interested in music, and curious about how you study and practice percussion and improvisation. It was a ton of fun to explain everything to them, and even more exciting as we drew some parallels to Tai-Chi (which Alex practices). I also gave them a quick coordination/drum set lesson. I felt so lucky to have spent the evening with them. We traded emails, and I hope we will keep in touch!
I took a short video, and then followed it with a slideshow of some of the pictures that I took. Once again, at the time I thought that narrating the video was a good idea, but not only do I sound silly, I got half of the information wrong! It was Thursday, September 10, and I’m sitting at the City Hall. Enjoy :)
Once again, the afternoon was filled with a lot of great information not only during the lessons, but even in between playing sessions as we chatted about the business and such. Right now, I am striving to feel more comfortable improvising within a tonal foundation. I feel that although I am confident with my sight reading and music theory abilities on paper, I want to feel more free and inspired when just walking up and playing on the keyboard. Anders gave me a lot of great info and I have a ton to do when returning to Piteå!
Once we parted ways for the day (Anders had some family plans), I practiced for a bit more. Once I felt that I couldn’t possible cram any more into my brain, I went back to the hostel. I had intended on seeing the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra perform Mahler No. 1, but decided it was too late to get across town…not to mention the thought of spending any more money was a bit painful. I decided to just walk down to the market to pick up some food for dinner and breakfast the next day and hang out. I purchased a salad with chicken, 2 rolls, 2 apples, a bottle of water, and a piece of chocolate ;) I went back to the hostel to eat at the community dining room.
I saw an older woman who was staying in my room sitting at a table. I had helped her get settled earlier in the day, and found out that she is originally from Sweden, but lives in Florida now. Her name is Aina, and she was traveling on her own. She just loved talking about everywhere she has been, and I felt bad that she didn’t seem to have many family members to share her stories. So, I went to sit with her and a young couple that we found out spoke English (French was their first language), and were from Switzerland.
The four of us had the most entertaining dinner! We must have sat there chatting for 3 hours. Beatrice and Alex (the couple) were so sweet, and live in Geneva. I asked them how they met...they ran into each other when buying groceries. They had already met each other when they were kids, about 10 years before, and recognized each other in front of the Asian food section. Alex followed Beatrice around the store until he eventually got her number!
Stockholm trip: Dagen (Day One)
I woke up bright and early the day I left for Stockholm (Wednesday). I didn’t sleep much the night before, blame it on nerves and excitement…so the 6:15am alarm didn’t really get to me too much! After quadruple checking all of my things, I was ready to hike down to the bus stop by 7:15am. I loaded my backpack with all the necessities for the three days. I also took my messenger bag with my mallets/music/camera/notebook/journal/etc. I kept all of my important things (extra money, credit card, passport) in a flat money belt under my clothes that I wore inconspicuously the entire three days. The walk to the bus stop was a fun (sarcasm) 25 minutes.
My first bus from Piteå to Luleå left at 8am. When I entered the waiting room I didn’t see a ticket window or kiosk to buy a ticket. After sitting there for about 10 minutes wondering what to do, I finally asked one of the two people sitting there with me how to get tickets. She said that you just pay when you get on the bus. Phew!
The trip only cost 50kr. I was in and out of sleep, so I don’t remember it too much! It took about 50minutes, and once I got to Luleå I had to transfer to another bus to take me to the airport. It was another 50kr. However, if I would have taken a taxi, it would have cost 216kr, so I at least felt good about the price.
When I checked in at the airport, the machine said that I didn’t need a boarding pass. I thought it was weird, but proceeded to security anyway. I love going through security at small airports! It’s so easy! I didn’t even have to take off my shoes!
At the gate, they didn’t announce anything in English, so I just waited for everyone to line up to board and followed. When I got up to the desk, I noticed a credit card machine. So, I swiped the card I used to book my ticket. It was a good guess, because a tiny receipt printed out with my seat number on it. I have never boarded a plane using this system. I thought it was kind of cool!
The flight was pretty easy, eventhough I was sitting next to a 8 month old baby! He only cried once, and was probably the cutest guy I’ve ever sat by on a trip! :) Had a beautiful view of the Luleå archipelago.
In the city, I was to get off at the St. Ericsplan stop. Since I didn’t know where that was, I counted how many stops there were before I had to get off and made sure that I didn’t fall asleep! I couldn’t understand a word out of the bus driver’s mouth, even when he announced the stop. Luckily, from my window I had a view of the signs outside of the bus and I had been counting! My biggest fear was getting dropped off at the wrong place in Stockholm…
Once I found St Eriksplan, it was around 1pm. I called Anders and he came down to meet me! His studio is only a block away from the bus stop. It’s in the space that Kroumata rehearses and performs in. It’s a really great space!
First, we chatted a bit about Piteå. Anders thinks I should definitely apply for the teaching opportunity that I found at the community school. (yay!) After catching up, we got right into the lesson. We worked for about an hour on the piece that I have been writing. I was nervous to play it for him…it wasn’t a paralyzing kind of nervous, but an excited and hopeful kind of nervous. I didn’t really like the way I played the piece, but Anders seemed to respond positively to the ideas that I came up with. He helped me organize my ideas, to make more sense musically and flow better. We also talked about extending sections, and how to vary some of the motivs. It was a great first lesson!
Then, we met up with Anders’ daughter, Tuva, for lunch. She is 18 and really fun to talk to and hang out with. She is very animated when telling stories and we had a great time getting to know each other. Not to mention that the food at the café was wonderful and the weather was wonderful. We sat outside, and I was quickly starting to love Stockholm!
Lunch was perfect, and we were ready to get back to the lesson. We spent the afternoon continuing to work on my piece, and then dove into some improvisation concepts. As the lesson progressed, I could hear Kroumata rehearsing Reich’s ‘Drumming’ the whole time. It was so surreal!!!
The hostel itself was pretty clean, and quite nice. The restrooms and showers were individual and private. My bed was comfy too!
I took a nap, then wrote in my journal, and got organized. Anders called, and said that I should come up to his family’s place for dinner around 7:30pm. He gave me directions over the phone, and I left in plenty of time to get there.
But, I got lost. Haha. I found my way to the studio, then to the café where we had lunch, but then I got really confused! I turned the wrong direction down one street, called Anders when I didn’t think that it was right, and Tuva came to rescue me! Whoops!
Dinner and socializing with the Åstrands was great! His wife, Anne, is so wonderful! She is a very strong, intelligent woman with a very caring heart. She wanted to make sure that I was feeling comfortable and settled in Piteå, which really made me feel good and taken care of. I tried to help make dinner as much as I could, and chatted with the girls, Emma and Tuva. While Anders was working, we (the ladies) discussed Twilight Series, and how we don’t like Bella’s character at all! Conveniently, I may be in Stockholm when ‘New Moon’ comes out, and they invited me to see it with them. Vampires are sexy in every country! (I wish I would have taken some pictures while I was there! I will have to remember next time!)
Anders and Anne walked me back to my hostel about 10:30pm. I don’t think I could have thanked them enough for the awesome evening! I was still so awake, so I stayed up in the common room and wrote in my journal a bit, and watched a little TV. When I went down to my room for bed, everyone was asleep!! I was the annoying girl that woke everyone up! I felt bad, but it was only a little past 11pm…I mean, come on people! Live a little!
My first bus from Piteå to Luleå left at 8am. When I entered the waiting room I didn’t see a ticket window or kiosk to buy a ticket. After sitting there for about 10 minutes wondering what to do, I finally asked one of the two people sitting there with me how to get tickets. She said that you just pay when you get on the bus. Phew!
The trip only cost 50kr. I was in and out of sleep, so I don’t remember it too much! It took about 50minutes, and once I got to Luleå I had to transfer to another bus to take me to the airport. It was another 50kr. However, if I would have taken a taxi, it would have cost 216kr, so I at least felt good about the price.
When I checked in at the airport, the machine said that I didn’t need a boarding pass. I thought it was weird, but proceeded to security anyway. I love going through security at small airports! It’s so easy! I didn’t even have to take off my shoes!
At the gate, they didn’t announce anything in English, so I just waited for everyone to line up to board and followed. When I got up to the desk, I noticed a credit card machine. So, I swiped the card I used to book my ticket. It was a good guess, because a tiny receipt printed out with my seat number on it. I have never boarded a plane using this system. I thought it was kind of cool!
The flight was pretty easy, eventhough I was sitting next to a 8 month old baby! He only cried once, and was probably the cutest guy I’ve ever sat by on a trip! :) Had a beautiful view of the Luleå archipelago.
Then, I think this clump of buildings is Piteå. The photo isn’t very good, but I was having fun with my camera
Once landing in Stockholm, I had to find the bus to take me into the city. The FlyBuss ticket counter was very easy to find, and I bought a roundtrip ticket. When I went outside to wait for the bus, I read (or translated) that there was a student ticket price. Darn! The lady at the counter ripped me off! I guess should have done a little research first.
In the city, I was to get off at the St. Ericsplan stop. Since I didn’t know where that was, I counted how many stops there were before I had to get off and made sure that I didn’t fall asleep! I couldn’t understand a word out of the bus driver’s mouth, even when he announced the stop. Luckily, from my window I had a view of the signs outside of the bus and I had been counting! My biggest fear was getting dropped off at the wrong place in Stockholm…
Once I found St Eriksplan, it was around 1pm. I called Anders and he came down to meet me! His studio is only a block away from the bus stop. It’s in the space that Kroumata rehearses and performs in. It’s a really great space!
Then, we met up with Anders’ daughter, Tuva, for lunch. She is 18 and really fun to talk to and hang out with. She is very animated when telling stories and we had a great time getting to know each other. Not to mention that the food at the café was wonderful and the weather was wonderful. We sat outside, and I was quickly starting to love Stockholm!
Lunch was perfect, and we were ready to get back to the lesson. We spent the afternoon continuing to work on my piece, and then dove into some improvisation concepts. As the lesson progressed, I could hear Kroumata rehearsing Reich’s ‘Drumming’ the whole time. It was so surreal!!!
Anders had to leave around 4:30pm, so I went down to check into my hostel. It was about a 10 minute walk from the studio…with some great scenery!
The hostel itself was pretty clean, and quite nice. The restrooms and showers were individual and private. My bed was comfy too!I took a nap, then wrote in my journal, and got organized. Anders called, and said that I should come up to his family’s place for dinner around 7:30pm. He gave me directions over the phone, and I left in plenty of time to get there.
But, I got lost. Haha. I found my way to the studio, then to the café where we had lunch, but then I got really confused! I turned the wrong direction down one street, called Anders when I didn’t think that it was right, and Tuva came to rescue me! Whoops!
Dinner and socializing with the Åstrands was great! His wife, Anne, is so wonderful! She is a very strong, intelligent woman with a very caring heart. She wanted to make sure that I was feeling comfortable and settled in Piteå, which really made me feel good and taken care of. I tried to help make dinner as much as I could, and chatted with the girls, Emma and Tuva. While Anders was working, we (the ladies) discussed Twilight Series, and how we don’t like Bella’s character at all! Conveniently, I may be in Stockholm when ‘New Moon’ comes out, and they invited me to see it with them. Vampires are sexy in every country! (I wish I would have taken some pictures while I was there! I will have to remember next time!)
Anders and Anne walked me back to my hostel about 10:30pm. I don’t think I could have thanked them enough for the awesome evening! I was still so awake, so I stayed up in the common room and wrote in my journal a bit, and watched a little TV. When I went down to my room for bed, everyone was asleep!! I was the annoying girl that woke everyone up! I felt bad, but it was only a little past 11pm…I mean, come on people! Live a little!
8.9.09
Dollar Store!!!?!?!
Piteå has a DOLLAR STORE. Not kidding. I went there today with my new friend, Lisa. It was actually quite a large store, and no, not everything was a dollar. Actually, nothing was a dollar. Prices ranged from 10-50 SEK ($1.40-$7.10). They had a little bit of everything, but all I purchased was a light bulb for my new light!
Lisa also showed me Piteå’s Red Cross store (like a Salvation Army or Goodwill). I really wish I would have known this place existed earlier, but I didn’t even know this part of town existed until today. I’ll definitely be frequenting this part of town, now! I got a new funky hanging light and rug for my room for about 10 bucks…that’s more my style!
The whole day was wonderful, and lunch with Linda was great! She pretty much told me everything thing I need to know about the school. I know all about the student union building and the people that run it (and found the microwaves, which will be handy considering I don’t have one!). She helped me get a library card, and then showed me how to use the printers and copy machines. She introduced me to some new people (including Lisa) while we pretty much toured the entire school…she really is great!
We also chatted about the Accelerator program that they just started here. It’s a group of individuals who assist students in bringing their ideas for projects and events to life by utilizing each department of the school. It’s right up my alley and my head is swimming with even more ideas for recitals and performances for the future. I plan on visiting the office on Monday!
Now, I’m packing to head down to Stockholm tomorrow. I’m so excited! I can’t wait to start lessons with Anders, and enjoy the city for a bit. I’m not taking my computer, so I won’t be writing until Friday. I’m sure that I’ll have plenty to say by then…so stay tuned!
Lisa also showed me Piteå’s Red Cross store (like a Salvation Army or Goodwill). I really wish I would have known this place existed earlier, but I didn’t even know this part of town existed until today. I’ll definitely be frequenting this part of town, now! I got a new funky hanging light and rug for my room for about 10 bucks…that’s more my style!
The whole day was wonderful, and lunch with Linda was great! She pretty much told me everything thing I need to know about the school. I know all about the student union building and the people that run it (and found the microwaves, which will be handy considering I don’t have one!). She helped me get a library card, and then showed me how to use the printers and copy machines. She introduced me to some new people (including Lisa) while we pretty much toured the entire school…she really is great!
We also chatted about the Accelerator program that they just started here. It’s a group of individuals who assist students in bringing their ideas for projects and events to life by utilizing each department of the school. It’s right up my alley and my head is swimming with even more ideas for recitals and performances for the future. I plan on visiting the office on Monday!
Now, I’m packing to head down to Stockholm tomorrow. I’m so excited! I can’t wait to start lessons with Anders, and enjoy the city for a bit. I’m not taking my computer, so I won’t be writing until Friday. I’m sure that I’ll have plenty to say by then…so stay tuned!
7.9.09
Free Mover
I don’t really understand it, but the technical term for my student status here, is ‘Free Mover’. This morning I met with Mike (pronounced mee-ka), my advisor and a good friend of Anders, to get everything cleared up with my registration. The meeting was really informative, he explained everything to me and introduced me to many other important administrators, including the Dean. We talked about what I would like to do while I’m here. He said that I am allowed to take any courses that I want to. I’m going to try to play in some large ensembles and jazz bands, but I’m not taking any classroom setting courses, because I already paid my dues for the past six years! In the meeting, I learned that the only difference between my status and an exchange student’s is that they are affiliated with a university in their home country and there are about 8 other international students here. There is one more ‘Free Mover’ here from Canada who plays the organ.
I’m also going to try and take the Swedish language class that they will offer, but it hasn’t been organized yet because the professor is moose hunting for the week. Seriously. :)
After the meeting, I ventured up into the offices in the Acusticum to try and find a woman named Anna, so I could book the concert hall for a recital. On the way I ran into the Dean again, and he accused me of following him. It’s always good to get a little face time with the head honchos! I finally found Anna’s office, and Sebastian was there. It’s so excited to run into people I know! I booked a recital for October 7 at 7pm. For this recital, Kyle is coming up from Germany and we’re going to play some duos and trios. I’m going to try to finish my marimba solo in time as well.
After spending the rest of the day at school practicing and such, I came home to conquer my laundry fears. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss my time! Skipping your signed out laundry time is a big no-no in Sweden.
I gathered all my clothes, towels and such, put them in the large plastic IKEA bag they gave me with my apartment supplies, and headed down across the way to the laundry building. I checked in with my keycard and it said that I was assigned to room 1 (out of 2), machines no. 4. There were about 12 washers, labeled 1-6 in pairs. I was the only one in the room so I investigated a bit. There were only about 5 normal size dryers and a couple of oversized for blankets, etc. The room looked pretty normal, with a few contraptions that I didn’t recognize…like a huge roller that looked like it’s used to press your cloths. I probably won’t be testing it out anytime in the near future!
Once I loaded my washers, I stared at the instructions trying to decipher the pictures the best I could (remember, everything is in Swedish, and the machines were not familiar). There were a lot of options! Then, luckily another student entered the room. He looked nice enough, so I played the damsel in distress card. (and…no. I know what you’re thinking…he looked very young and goofy…no potential…hehe…earmuffs, dad). He showed me what all the buttons meant, and where to put my detergent, etc. Then, we realized that I had actually bought fabric softener and not soap from the store. Whoopsie! Fortunately, he was nice enough to let me have some of his. It was embarrassing, but pretty hysterical.
The washer only took 40 minutes, so I set and alarm and went back in time to transfer my things. I’ve heard horror stories about dryers in Europe taking forever, so I was simply hoping to: 1) actually have dry clothes at the end of the day, and 2) not shrink anything. The dryers were huge, so I combined the two loads (there were small, don’t worry. Plus, I figured that since there were far less dryers, it would be nice.) I set the machine for 45 minutes, what looked like the normal time, and crossed my fingers!
After a nice little nap, I went to get my clothes, expecting the worst. But, to my surprise and satisfaction: everything was perfectly clean and dry! Woohoo! I felt very accomplished for some reason. The best part of the whole experience is that they don’t charge a dime...or a kronar, for anything. I could get used to this!
All in all, it was a very successful day! I’m getting excited for lunch with Linda tomorrow and my trip to Stockholm on Wednesday. Here’s map of Sweden, just so you can see where I am. Piteå is just south of Luleå (where the airport is located). Time for bed!
I’m also going to try and take the Swedish language class that they will offer, but it hasn’t been organized yet because the professor is moose hunting for the week. Seriously. :)
After the meeting, I ventured up into the offices in the Acusticum to try and find a woman named Anna, so I could book the concert hall for a recital. On the way I ran into the Dean again, and he accused me of following him. It’s always good to get a little face time with the head honchos! I finally found Anna’s office, and Sebastian was there. It’s so excited to run into people I know! I booked a recital for October 7 at 7pm. For this recital, Kyle is coming up from Germany and we’re going to play some duos and trios. I’m going to try to finish my marimba solo in time as well.
After spending the rest of the day at school practicing and such, I came home to conquer my laundry fears. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss my time! Skipping your signed out laundry time is a big no-no in Sweden.
I gathered all my clothes, towels and such, put them in the large plastic IKEA bag they gave me with my apartment supplies, and headed down across the way to the laundry building. I checked in with my keycard and it said that I was assigned to room 1 (out of 2), machines no. 4. There were about 12 washers, labeled 1-6 in pairs. I was the only one in the room so I investigated a bit. There were only about 5 normal size dryers and a couple of oversized for blankets, etc. The room looked pretty normal, with a few contraptions that I didn’t recognize…like a huge roller that looked like it’s used to press your cloths. I probably won’t be testing it out anytime in the near future!
Once I loaded my washers, I stared at the instructions trying to decipher the pictures the best I could (remember, everything is in Swedish, and the machines were not familiar). There were a lot of options! Then, luckily another student entered the room. He looked nice enough, so I played the damsel in distress card. (and…no. I know what you’re thinking…he looked very young and goofy…no potential…hehe…earmuffs, dad). He showed me what all the buttons meant, and where to put my detergent, etc. Then, we realized that I had actually bought fabric softener and not soap from the store. Whoopsie! Fortunately, he was nice enough to let me have some of his. It was embarrassing, but pretty hysterical.
The washer only took 40 minutes, so I set and alarm and went back in time to transfer my things. I’ve heard horror stories about dryers in Europe taking forever, so I was simply hoping to: 1) actually have dry clothes at the end of the day, and 2) not shrink anything. The dryers were huge, so I combined the two loads (there were small, don’t worry. Plus, I figured that since there were far less dryers, it would be nice.) I set the machine for 45 minutes, what looked like the normal time, and crossed my fingers!
After a nice little nap, I went to get my clothes, expecting the worst. But, to my surprise and satisfaction: everything was perfectly clean and dry! Woohoo! I felt very accomplished for some reason. The best part of the whole experience is that they don’t charge a dime...or a kronar, for anything. I could get used to this!
All in all, it was a very successful day! I’m getting excited for lunch with Linda tomorrow and my trip to Stockholm on Wednesday. Here’s map of Sweden, just so you can see where I am. Piteå is just south of Luleå (where the airport is located). Time for bed!
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