Folk music is kind of an obscure culture even to those well skilled in more modern styles. In the past if you would want to learn the skills of the spelman, you would have to study in a special school or learn from a master of the art, but thankfully today in the age of Youtube there are people like Emelie who teach the tricks, and also the fascinating history behind the tunes.
Hey Emelie, how are you on this day of November 2021? Where are you currently writing this?
Hej hej, I'm good thank you, writing on my usual desk in my collective in the countryside, with a smoking tea cup in my hand and a cat on my lap. I just finished editing and posting my next upcoming video.
What can you tell me of your childhood, about the environment you grew up in? Were you always fascinated by music, since very young?
I grew up in a very musical family, my mother especially was singing and whistling non-stop. For a long time I didn't consider music as something special, it was just part of my life, a way of expressing myself, we would sing in the kitchen, when walking, and invent silly songs about absolutely everything. I was just before 5 years old when I started the violin and it was only classical music that was taught, but I listened to a lot of folk music already, mostly Irish. I had only three CDs of it and my poor parents had to hear them so often!
I took part in a classical violin competition once when I was 9 but understood it was not for me. The classical repertoire might be beautiful but there is so much competition between people and so much pressure on the musicians. I then started dabbling into folk music on my own, still mostly Celtic, until I discovered Scandinavian music in my late teenage years and finally felt at home.
You have relocated to Uppsala, Sweden a couple of years ago. How do these Swedish surroundings differ from your earlier life?
Well in general Sweden is much, much more vast than my native Switzerland, so everything is further away. Especially people. It's harder to meet often with like-minded people, musical friends and colleagues, especially as I live on the countryside, with very poor traffic connections and without owning a car! But I couldn't live in a city again, I love to go to a busy center for a few days but at home I have so much space and peace around, and all the trees and animals so close, the cities don't compare. For example just now if I pause typing there is absolute silence around me. Not a sound. This never happens in a city!
Sweden also has a big and thriving folk music scene, but it can be a tough place because the level is very high and one has to offer something truly special and unique to get noticed. In Switzerland just being a decent musician and present in the scene would guarantee contracts. Not here!
You have studied and performed a lot abroad in various countries. Are there any major differences in the learning culture and the folk music communities in general of different parts of Europe?
Groups of people are always different, but what makes the most difference is which kind of folk music we're talking about. The balfolk community for example is quite similar across Europe, the bands travel a lot and the dancers too, but if you jump into a slightly older scene, like the folkloric one for example, it's a very different thing from the balfolk, even in the same city! Age tends to play a bigger role than location, but in small places (like Switzerland) everyone flocks together anyways because they have to.
Then there are some regions that have a strong traditional repertoire and usually they're not as open to other things. Sweden is a good example actually, it's extremely difficult to raise interest for any new type of tunes or dances here. On the opposite side of the spectrum, you have the Netherlands, where there is very little local musical traditions kept, so people are super open to any interesting thing one brings.
How do you feel about the state of folk music studies in Europe today?
That's entirely depending on the location. In the strong-repertoire-regions mentioned above, there is usually an offer of high level studies. The scene and the available studies feed each other, so to say. I have personally studied at one private school and two folk universities in Sweden (Eric Sahlström Institute, Bollnäs and Malung) and it's no secret that the amount and variety of folk music studies in the country is directly proportional to the scene. It seems similar in Occitanie or Bretagne or Ireland.
Outside of these hotspots, there is often a void of knowledge and interest, therefore of available studies, about the local folk music. On a positive note, I have noticed that it usually takes just a handful of motivated people to dig up a repertoire and teach it somewhat aggressively during a decade or two, for a strong scene to be born.
I came back to Switzerland after my studies and started teaching as much as I could, everywhere, and when I left after only three years there was a little Scandinavian music scene, super small, but motivated, and most importantly: running on its own, without me.
You have some experience of performing and playing on the streets, in many countries. Which European cities have you found to be the best for a street musician?
I haven't played in enough cities to answer this well. I mostly played in Bergen, Norway, which is a very good place to do so. How welcoming a city is to street musicians depends entirely on the legal procedures about street performance. In some cities it's illegal, expensive or harshly restricted, then it's not worth playing there, whereas in others the rules are soft (change spot every half hour, for example).
Of course there have been popular folk music groups such as The Chieftains since the sixties, but I remember in the mid-nineties when Scandinavian groups like Hedningarna and Garmarna became quite popular, and for example the underground metal scenes started to involve bands like Stille Volk (which you may have heard of due to your band Svall Duo). What do you think of the state and popularity of European folk music right now?
You mention some beloved bands of mine here! My colleague of Svall Duo actually started playing with Stille Volk because I pushed him relentlessly to do so! I think folk music in Europe is doing very fine. As said before, it depends a lot on the region, but as long as there are some big nerds doing research and teaching here and there, things will go on evolving and developing. There are lots of young people in the various local scenes, that is very promising. The only negative thing I see is that there is perhaps less invention around the traditional repertoire. The old bands went nuts! Maybe we young ones lack that boldness a bit. Or maybe most of the bold cross-overs have been done already.
In your very informative Youtube videos you also go into the fascinating history of folk music. Do you study the history much separately, or is the historical knowledge one of the perks when
discovering about the tunes and melodies?
I think the history can't be separated from the tunes. Or at least it shouldn't be, in my opinion. Things need to be understood in their context. It's something I insist about on my channel, I hope people understand and remember the background info.
For me a tune is so much more interesting when I can hear about a bit of history related to it, whether directly when learning the tune or by my own research later on.
During Swedish folk music concerts, musicians often take the time to tell the stories of the tunes they play and, if some people find it annoying, I love it. A tune is not only notes, it's a story!
Folk music and classical music have traditionally been considered hard and obscure to the major public. There are of course many people interested in these styles of music, but are perhaps intimidated by the presumed difficulty and afraid to take the step. What would you advice to such aspiring musicians be?
I'm not sure I agree about folk music being hard and obscure. My experience of it, in various countries, is on the contrary one of openness and acceptance, especially to the interested beginner. Most people are amateurs within the folk scene, which creates a relaxed feeling. Folk music of various styles has a very welcoming structure: the jam sessions. Of course it depends on the people present, but the huge majority of my experiences have been really positive, one just joins and tries. It can take a while to get the tunes entirely, especially the fast or difficult ones, but then it's just about practicing these at home until the next session!
My advice to aspiring folk musicians would be to not be scared and not listen to the few gatekeepers. Be brave, be bold, and be willing to learn. And don't be scared of your beginner's status. If you come humbly and ask for help, people will never take you down (if they do, they're asses and they are not the usual folkie, leave them to rot).
As your current projects involve mostly European folk music, are you also interested in the musical styles of the cultures of other continents?
Absolutely! There are so many repertoires from all around the globe that I'm eyeing. I just doubt I'll ever have the time to explore them while continuing to develop in Scandinavian folk music. I especially like repertoires from Mongolia and Siberia, but I develop a crush on almost every repertoire I start digging into for a few hours. Recently I acquired an ikembe from Congo or Burundi and happily spent some days nerding about that. The repertoire I'm planning to learn about seriously in the future is still European though: Romania and Bulgaria.
Is European folk music something that was in the same form as it is today long before the development of so-called classical music, or is for example the sort of folk music you like to perform something that developed simultaneously? How much interaction has there been between the music on the concert halls and the music of the taverns?
Folk and classical music have influenced each other countless times and in both directions! Many folk tunes and styles have been picked up by classical composers and musicians (Edvard Grieg, Béla Bartók etc.) and folk musicians were also much inspired by the fashions from the courts.
In Sweden many nobles had little orchestras playing folk tunes and classical pieces without much distinction in the style.
Also I just have to point out that folk music has not been so present in the taverns per se, but more in the rural regions in general, with songs for every task (weaving, sowing, herding...) and tunes for dancing and important religious or social events.
Can folk music in Europe be traced to a same source or origin, such as it is the case of many modern European languages?
I am no historian but I don't think European folk music can be traced back to one source, not at all. How different types of tunes started ranges from obscure peasants dances to official court inventions. Some instruments have origins in the middle-east, others somewhere in Europe. Exchanges with other cultures are always inducing a boom of new trends and inventions, but new things were also invented in far remote valleys. You only need a creative mind. So no, I don't think folk music in Europe can be traced to a single origin. Basically where and when there have been people, there's been creation. It is not like all folk tunes come from a forgotten time. Most have been composed during different centuries, or brought back to Europe by travelers.
Besides the rhythms, Scandinavian folk music played with strings often has a very unique sound or tune to it, and I'm sure many people wonder is this because of the use of an instrument such as the resonance fiddle, or is it because of a unique way of tuning the fiddle, or simply the notes played?
Scandinavian Folk Music's specific sound, as for every folk repertoire, is a combination of three factors: the sound of the instruments, the techniques of playing, and the music itself (rhythms & notes). About the instruments, the specifically Scandinavian hardingfele and nyckelharpa, with their resonance strings, do create a special soundscape, yet the most common instrument, by far, remains the usual fiddle. The tuning, when it differs from the classical GDAE, offers of course another reason for the sound, but the playing techniques (second factor) is of greater importance. Some ornaments are found exclusively in Scandinavia for example. Then the music itself has its specific rhythms, scales, harmonies and patterns.
You seem to especially love the nyckelharpa? What makes it so special?
It's thanks to the nyckelharpa that I discovered the Scandinavian folk music, entered the scene and felt home, so it will always have a dear place in my heart. Nyckelharpa is this cousin of the violin with extra strings giving it incredible resonance and a wooden keyboard clicking softly when the keys are played. The sound is really special, close to a violin but richer, bigger, and it sounds like it carries a concert hall within itself. The history of this instrument is also fascinating. It was invented during the late middle-ages in very simple forms and then survived only in one region of Sweden where it developed into the amazing thing it is today. It is a very generous and versatile instrument, with a strong, long-lasting, addictive sound. Plus it always puzzles people the first time they see one, everyone wants to understand how the damn thing works! In this regard it is similar to its other cousin the hurdy-gurdy, which I also love but play not as much nor as well. I like these clever inventions to get more sound or weird effects out of a fully mechanical instrument that one can build at home with just sharp tools and local materials. And obviously some patience.
Your Youtube channel has helped a lot of people understand many of the concepts of for example Scandinavian folk music, and in my case a new world of possibilities opened up. Considering the growth of the channel, do you think it is something you can make a living with in the future, or is it more like a hobby to you?
My channel is a part of my musicianship. I don't see myself as a Youtuber, but as a musician who uses the platform for sharing my music and teaching. I never applied to monetization because it would mean receiving money from ads and I really don't like those. People who want to support my work behind the videos do so willingly on Patreon and I've already been able to invest into better recording material thanks to these contributions. I don't think I could make a full living out of my channel and anyways I don't want to. I'm interested in making music, not videos. These are just a very good format for sharing what I produce.
Your clothing and style is really awesome, is crafting something you like doing? How about building instruments, do you have experience in that area?
Thank you! Clothing is another way I like to express myself through. And yes, I do love crafting, mostly fiber crafts such as sewing and weaving. I never found clothes that fitted me nor my taste in shops so I started making my own and altering second-hand pieces. It's a way to reduce my footprint on the environment, too, the clothing industry being one of the worst ones. I also dabble a bit into woodworking and I indeed have a tiny bit of experience in instrument making. I dreamed for many years of becoming a luthier but life took another path. Yet I am stubborn and have built myself a little medieval rebec, “the violin's grandpa” as I call it. Lately I'm mostly modifying existing instruments (such as turning a regular violin into a låtfiol or resonance fiddle) but I plan on building from scratch again. When I'll have time and space. Some day. As a musician I have many ideas I would like to test, to see if some interesting sounds could come out of them.
When I think of folk music I also think of folklore. What are your favourite European, or global folk tales?
I like Slavic, Irish and Inuit folk tales in general, which I had some books of as a kid. I feel the art of storytelling has been lost a lot and it makes me sad. That's perhaps why I enjoy stories behind folk tunes so much. My favorite tale is perhaps the one of Jean-des-Paniers from Neuchâtel in Switzerland, a clarinet player who had entertained a wedding party. As thanks, the bride gave him several loaves of fresh bread upon his departure. On the way home, he was followed closer and closer by hungry wolves, which he kept at bay by throwing his loaves at them one by one. When the bread was gone and the wolves still pressing on his heels, Jean took his clarinet to play a last air before being eaten, but with the cold and his terror, he was only able to produce a loud and high-pitched squeak that scared the wolves away and thus saved his life.
Are you a spiritual person, and if so, is your spirituality of the kind that involves music?
I describe myself as spiritual, but in no defined way. I like to research and think about old belief systems but don't find any existing current to match with me. I also feel spirituality to be a very personal thing and therefore only share it with very few people nowadays. And although my music can stem from my spirituality at times, it does not take an active part into it.
I don't play for meditation or prayer or trance – but if people use my music for that and it works for them, I'm glad they can connect with my art on such a deep level.
You also have a lot of other bands and projects, such as teaching traditional dancing. What can you tell me of your current activities beside the Youtube channel?
My two bands, Svall Duo and Harpavei, which play mostly music for dancing, are having it quite impossible to meet with the current world situation (my colleagues live in other countries) and there are very few concerts and dance evenings anyways. So we are on forced break, pretty much. So I have focused on my own solo music, notably composing a lot. I just finished arranging my own little recording studio at home, which I'm planning to use a lot, both for my projects and for recordings for films and such. I've been exploring different tunings on the fiddles. I'm also learning hurdy-gurdy and cello and it keeps me very busy.
Thank you very much for this lovely interview! What are your plans for the channel and your life in 2022?
For the channel not much new, perhaps slowing down the rhythm a little, I've tried to post minimum three videos a month in 2021 and it got stressful at times. Else I'll go on in a similar way there. In my life for now I'm happy where I am but also burning to travel again. I love to discover other cultures, hear other languages around me and meet similar souls born far away. I have plans for sewing more, weaving again, trying to grow all my vegetables for the year in my garden and climbing trees more often.
Comments