Sámi Music Academy’s vision

Before school, I was completely convinced that I did not know a thing about composing and I had never even tried. It turned out that all that needed to be done was to open the door. My first composition was groundbreaking, and plenty more followed. I was surprised during my studies by how quickly I learned to play the guitar. I have performed a couple times playing guitar, though I have also felt shy about it.

The highlight of the year was our spring concert in Sajos, Inari. It was so fun when people started dancing as we played. The vibes were great! Of course, there were other nice moments, too. For example, the visiting teachers, such as Niillas Holmberg, Wimme Saari and Teho Majamäki as well as the yoikers all made a good impression. I did not have a lot of previous playing experience. Every five years, I may have tried to play the guitar, 30 seconds at a time, but that is about it. This is why it was fun to see that even if none of the instruments were familiar to me in the beginning, I got really interested in playing the bass.

Playing in a band was one of the highlights of my studies. Often there is no place, instruments or people to play with, and therefore it was great to be able to play properly with people. I also strongly remember digging for my own musical roots. It affected everything I did during my studies, and was beneficial in many ways.

My time with the studies was excellent. The strongest impression was the fellow students with whom I got to spend the whole year. Band training also greatly impressed me. I had earlier played with my friend, sung and played the clarinet but had no experience of band life. At the end of the academic year, I already had plenty of experience playing together. I would never have thought I would perform a single rap song, but I got the courage to try it, and it went well!

Playing and singing together were the greatest moments of my student year. Playing in a band was in the teaching programme from beginning to end, and we experienced plenty of successes and joy from doing things together. We also got to learn about instruments that were new to us. Another significant course was the singing lessons, i.e. using the voice. From lesson one onwards, I experienced revelations and learned to know my voice better.

One of the highlights of my studies at the music academy was playing live in front of people. I loved it and playing in general. It was in Utsjoki that I also took interest in the theory of music and music technology.

The entire year of music studies was one big experience, though the definite highlight was being an apprentice of Marko Jouste. I got to learn about leu´dd and understand its secrets, and my apprenticeship also resulted in founding the Suõmmkar band.

The best thing about a music academy is good team spirit. We are a good group and studying together is fun. Currently I am studying both at Enontekijö High School and the Music Academy, which is why my music studies are tailored to suit me.

The first year of studies included plenty of great moments. One of the best was a yoik conference in Tromsø where I met new people and learned a lot that was new about yoiking. In addition, Tromsø is a beautiful town. Another great thing about the studies was the gigs. Playing together with others kept feeling better and better toward the end. Also, the visiting teachers—each of them excellent—were quite memorable during the past year.

The study year includes many really fine moments. It has been great to get to play in so many concerts. Playing with a band has been one of the best things, because I have not had any earlier experience of it. It is truly nice to play and perform together. I had piano studies as my background and it was good to continue with them. The greatest surprise, however, came in the form of playing drums. I would not have thought I would play the drum set as much as I did, for example, during the final concert. My enthusiasm with percussion instruments really grew. I was playing percussion in pieces with variable rhythm. At first, I was wondering how I could possibly master this, but it just happened!

The highlight of my first year of study was a gig in Paris. We set off with a group from Sámi music academy. The same occasion featured, among other things, a high school theater group, craftsmen and literary artists. The event marked Finland's 100th anniversary. I never would have thought I'd make such a trip to Paris! The experience was impressive and it was great to be traveling with the group from North. All in all, the first year at the Sámi Music Academy was a great time, and based on that, I went on to study for the second year.