Category: Blog posts

I am truly blessed to come across such a wealth of wonderful and amazing people in my life. From musician colleagues to dear friends and acquaintances, close as well as extended family members, as well as helpful and pleasant hotel and train staff and unexpected acquaintances made along the way. To be frank, I am… Continue reading Pride and Joy

This week and the next are going to be very exciting. I am making excellent progress on the power metal project I mentioned a few weeks ago. In two days, I will meet up with the pianist performing in next week’s concert to rehearse the two songs we will perform. And I have come to… Continue reading Hard Labour

This will be the last update on my Christmas oratorio for a while. Yesterday, I finished transcribing it into my new notation software and revising it in the original instrumentation. I have already begun work on an alternate version for a reduced instrumental setup and when that is done I will give you some examples… Continue reading No Laughing Matter

Last week turned out quite different from what I had imagined. A not insignificant amount of time was spent applying the first coat of paint on new paneling for my house. Emma and I were invited to a wedding party on Saturday, but on Wednesday the remainder of our week was turned on its head… Continue reading Masters of the House

Being a freelancer means, among other things, not necessarily taking vacations when most people do. Vacation time is whenever you decide it is, or at least when it is possible to take some time off. This summer will be a busy and strenuous one, not only with plenty of musical work but also a great… Continue reading Christmas in June

Today is Midsummer’s Day which is widely and greatly celebrated all over Sweden. Many even argue today is more important to Swedes than our actual national day, which is observed on June 6. Like so many of my countrymen, I will eat pickled herring with sour cream, chives and potatoes, as well many other typical… Continue reading To Know Your Mission

In last week’s post I mentioned the joy in returning to some of my older compositions with a fresh perspective and a deeper understanding of not only music in general but also my of own music. Sometimes, this reappraisal (of a kind) leads to my being able to realize even better the ideas I had… Continue reading Relight My Fire

I find it quite stimulating to alternate between working on completely new pieces and revising or reworking older ones. Returning to older pieces like this renews my appreciation of my previous works, at the same time as it highlights my continued development as a composer. There is a potential danger, or at least a problem,… Continue reading It Don’t Mean A Thing

Has it really been almost two weeks since my last post? (It sure seems that way.) I have been busy working on several pieces both old and new, and on top of that my lovely fiancée came to visit last week which added even more to the pile of distractions keeping me from my blogging… Continue reading Musical Multi-Tasking

Yesterday evening I had the great pleasure of hearing the brilliant Trio Nastela in concert in Härnösand. The trio’s well-balanced programme included music by Classical and Romantic composers as well as by two contemporary Swedish composers. Three amazing musicians make up the trio: bassoonist Sebastian Stevensson, whom I of course know rather well; oboist Emmanuel… Continue reading Musicianship In Its Purest Form