Introducing: Suzanne Halmagiu, ISH Coordinator

   

      
Where are you from and what instruments do you play?

I'm originally from South Africa. I play piano, flute, and a bit of guitar.

      Where did you study?

I did my Bachelors of Music in Pretoria, South Africa and then did my Masters in Music at the University of Jyväskylä.

Who is your favourite musician/composer?

Oh gosh, I have so many! But my favourite composer at the moment is a young Icelandic guy by the name of Olafur Arnalds. He writes the most haunting minimalist music.

  
Do you have any secret/not-so-secret (unmusical) talents?

No so secret, but I'm a published author of science fiction and fantasy books for young adults.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Anything involving peanut butter!

Tea or coffee?

Both – coffee in the morning, tea at night.

Do you have hobbies?

Climbing and hiking out in the countryside with my dog.

Do you have any pets? What are their names?

Yes, a shiba inu named Lego.

Introducing: Lucy Abrams, ISM Clarinet Teacher

Where are you from and what instruments do you play?

I'm from Wilmette, IL, a north suburb of Chicago and I play clarinet.

If you weren’t a musician what would you be doing?

It's hard to imagine (!) but I like to think I would do something cultural/socio-cultural.

Where did you study? 

I studied at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Eastman School of Music in the US.  I spent a year at the Musikhögskolan in Malmö and since the fall 2013, have studied at the Sibelius Academy.

Where are you studying now?

The Sibelius Academy!

What was the thing that got you interested in music?

My parents encouraged me to pick an instrument when middle school band was introduced in the 5th grade, when I was around 10. My mom made sure I stuck with it through high school, because she thought it would be a nice activity and help me make friends.

Why are you in Finland?

I came to Helsinki from Malmö to continue working with my clarinet teacher.

Who is your favourite musician/composer?

I admire most musicians, and artists.  Anyone committed to their craft.  Some of my favorites - Barbara Hannigan, Alfred Brendel, Joanna Newsom, Andrew Bird.

What has been your most special musical experience to date?

I spent a month this summer in Sapporo, Japan at the Pacific Music Festival and it was incredible.

Do you have any secret/not-so-secret (unmusical) talents?

I used to take karate, I was a black belt once upon a time...

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

I suppose it's not guilty but I love to cook.  And eat when cooking.

Tea or coffee?

Tea in the morning, a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

Cats or dogs?

DOGS.

Salad or Pizza?

Both, salads usually, pizza on special occasions.

What is your favourite country to visit?

I love to travel, especially to new places.  Some old favorites - Florence and Paris.

What is your favourite season?

Fall

What is your favourite food?

Cake.

Do you have any hobbies?

Cooking, exercise, yoga, knitting.

If you could take three things to a desert island, what would you take?

My parents, closest friends, and a kindle with an unlimited supply of books.

Do you have any pets? 

A dog, hopefully one day soon...

Early Childhood Music Education - An Investment in your Child’s Future

Every child has musical potential and the right to musical development.

At the very same time music is something very natural and present in a child’s life, but still something that needs to be provided and valued. Early music experiences are the foundation for future music learning and life-long enthusiasm for music. The Finnish artist and famous author of the Moomin books for children, Tove Jansson, has said: It’s important how a person wakes up and starts a long day. And childhood, that is our morning.

Maybe this is why thousands of parents around Finland take their child to ’muskari’ i.e. music playschool, every week at music institutes, private music playschools, churches, and some other organizations. Music playschool is the most common hobby of  Finnish children under the age of seven.

Early Childhood Music Education aims to inspire a child’s love for music and build a child’s basic musical skills in a safe and playful environment. At music playschool, children are introduced to the basics of music through meaningful encounters, listening, singing, rhyming, moving, playing instruments and by exploring sounds, verbalizing and visualizing musical ideas.

The activities are target-oriented and versatile and the child’s age and stage of development is always taken into account. In this manner, early childhood music education and music playschool activities support a child’s holistic development and enhance their skills not only in music but also socially, emotionally, cognitively, psychomotorically, and aesthetically.

Every child has musical potential. Let’s believe in it.

Every child has the right to musical development. Let’s start working on it.

Welcome to music playschool!

Annina Rintakumpu

Early Childhood Music Education Specialist

ISM Playschool SMILE coordinator

annina@ismfinland.org

Introducing: Emilie Wendt, ISM Brass teacher

Emilie is one of the newest members of the ISM teaching team. In the first of a new ISM series, our favourite French horn player has answered some questions about herself. Read on to find out more about the human behind the picture...

Where are you from and what instruments do you play?

I am from Melbourne Australia and I play the French Horn.

If you weren’t a musician what would you be doing? 

If I wasn’t a musician I would probably be teaching general primary school, I really like teaching. 

Where did you study? 

I have studied at the University of Melbourne and I completed my Bachelor of Music there. I have also completed my Diploma in Education at another university in Australia. 

Where are you studying now?

I am currently studying at the Sibelius Academy

What was the thing that got you interested in music?

I saw a person play the trumpet and I told my mum that I wanted to do that.

Why are you in Finland?

I am in Finland to study music.

Who is your favourite musician/composer?

Mozart or Mahler, very different I know but I really like to play both of their compositions.

What has been your most special musical experience to date?

Playing at the Berlin Philharmonic with the German-Scandinavian Youth Orchestra.

Do you have any secret/not-so-secret (unmusical) talents?

I like to SCUBA dive

Tea or coffee?

I really like to drink both tea and coffee. I can’t choose one or the other.

Cats or dogs?

Again I can’t answer this, I like both animals just as much… but maybe for me cats win but only by a little bit.

 Salad or Pizza?

Salad as long as it’s a salad with lots of tuna fish and eggs!

What is your favourite country to visit?

Lithuania

What is your favourite season?

Summer

What is your favourite food?

I like them all… haha

Do you have hobbies?

I like to knit in my spare time

 Do you have any pets? What are their names?

I currently have no pets. I used to have a dog named Nelson and two cats one named Tiger and the other one Zebbie.

 Do you have children? What are their names?

I have no children