Spring 2014 in Copenhagen; modes, vowels and friendship

Dear diary,
 There is so much I would like to tell you. These last few weeks here in Copenhagen have been so amazing.

 Kära blogg,
 Det finns så mycket jag vill berätta. De sista veckorna här i Köpenhamn har varit fantastiska!

 Thomas arrived to Copenhagen in the middle of March. It must have been love, because he brought me chocolate!!! For the first time in weeks I felt so relaxed (Yeah, chocolate does strange things to women!..hehe). We did some sightseeing, had a fantastic dinner at Cafe Alma and tried out a few danish beers! :)

Thomas anlände till Köpenhamn i mitten på mars. Han kom med äkta kärlek = choklad! En underbar känsla av lugn infann sig på direkten. Vi lekte turister, åt en fantastisk middag på Cafe Alma och provsmakade några danska ölsorter. Tack fina du! :)

 The following week I got new visitors. Yey! My friend Hanna and her friend Allison came to Copenhagen. During these days we were 3 girls living in my tiny room... And it worked! The weather was nice, a perfect day to visit the Little mermaid!

 I spent the following weekend at a summer-house by the sea (near Änglaholmen, Sweden) with Hanna, my small cusin Sandra and her her boyfriend Jonathan. One day we went exploring a beautiful coastal walkway. We also brought a pic-nic bag and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon laying on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Later that evening we went in to the sauna! Fantastic. Thank you!

 Redan följande vecka fick jag nya besökare. Min vän Hanna och hennes väninna Allison gjorde ett kort besök i Köpenhamn. Vi var då 3 st i mitt lilla rum på diakonissestiftelsen. Vädret var dock vackert, så vi besökte Köpenhamns mest turistiga attraktion, nämligen Lilla sjöjungfrun.

 Nästa helg tillbringade jag tillsammans med Hanna och småkusin Sandra i Sverige, vid en sommarstuga på Änglaholmen. En dag gjorde vi en vandringstur ut till kusten, klipporna och havet. Vi hade pick-nick-lunch och njöt av havsutsikten. Vi besökte också en fiskehamn och tog oss en titt på kronprinsessans sommarställe... Senare den kvällen fick vi bada bastu! Tack!

Hilleröd is a cosy city near Copenhagen. I did get the possibility to go there one day with my dads cusin Marie and her family. They made me a delicious dinner and took good care of me! Nice to have a Danish family as well. :)

 Hilleröd är en fin stad nära Köpenhamn. Jag fick äran att åka dit med pappas kusin Marie och hennes familj en dag. De tog så bra hand om mig och bjöd mig på en mycket god middag hemma hos dem. Trevligt att ha en extra familj här i Danmark också. :) Tusen tack för allt, Marie!

For those who wonder... Yes, I'm still studying. I do spend a lot of time at CVI (complete vocal institute) aswell. I still scream (A, EE, I, EH, OH), improvice, talk business, sing with pianists and spend a lot of time with the best classmates ever. The "try-outs", or "rounds" that we call it here, are now a part of our daily routines. Sometimes it feels uncomfortable... but at least I don't feel like I wanna die anymore... :) We also aim to have small concerts every week so we get use to performances.  I'm looking forward to next week, then we'll have a singer-songwriting week.

Och ja, jag hinner också studera. Tillbringar största delen av dagarna vid skolan (CVI). Övar ännu vokalerna ÄÄ, EE, II,, ÅÅ, improviserar, diskuterar musikindustri, övningssjunger tillsammans med pianister och njuter av sångsällskapet. 'Direkt improvisation' har blivit en del av vardagen. Visst känns det ännu lite osäkert, men jag vill inte längre försvinna eller gräva ner mig... :) Vi försöker också ha konserter varje vecka för att bli mer bekväma på scenen. Jag ser så fram emot nästa veckas utmaning, att skiva musik.

My oh so serious classmates, hehe...

Improvisation class. What is the picture really about? Any suggestions??

Get together coffee after school.

Rock'n roll!

Today, we had a session called 'vocal groups' (choir). We tried out some gospel music and it turned out to be so much fun! Afterwards we did some classical singing, that was really interresting. Becoming an operasinger could be my next profession!

Idag fick vi pröva på att sjunga gospel tillsammans - och det var fantastiskt roligt! På eftermiddagen lekte vi opera-sångare och lärde oss mera om klassisk sångteknik.

The spring has arrived to Copenhagen and I'm not the only one who is enjoying it... :)

One early morning in Fredriksparken

Pic-nic in 'Kongens Have' with my classmates

Back home, at the Diakonissestiftelsen, people (apparently) still love pancakes. Every now and then we get together for a evening meal. I'm feeling so lucky to have these people around me.

 Hemma på diakonissestiftelsen är plättar fortfarande en favorit maträtt. Vi samlas ibland om kvällarna för att äta tillsammans, diskutera och spela spel. Jag känner mig lyckligt lottad över att få ha så fina rumskamrater.

Pancakes, Alias-game and Baileys. Good combination!

 Over and out, goodnight!
 Frida

Hard work and alot of love!

Another great and inspiring day has gone by and I'm enjoying a quiet moment by my self in my big-bang room. I still feel the adrenalin pumping from todays sessions. Interpretation, improvisation, ornamentations! Fear, happiness, excitement... Love it.

Last week I had the pleasure to spend a few days togheter with my dear friend Michaela. I took her to our CVI-opening concert which I think we both enjoyed very much. We also did some necessary dancing and sightseeing and tried out a few restaurants and bars in Copenhagen. We had a great time, sometimes we laught so hard so we almost pied in our pants. Yeah, sometimes when life is hard on us, we really just need... a hotdog! (Sorry for the inside stuff)

These first weeks here in Copenhagen have been amazing. New sounds, voices, harmonies, friends... The power of music gives me some kind of wonderful fuel. I'm smiling like a crazy person. Today when I came home from school I just stoped infront of "a home for elderly" and waived to a lady who sat by the window in her rocking chair. She slowly took up her hand and gave me a "hey" gesture. Poor lady, she must have been wondering what kind of weird person this is... :) Well, I just hope I made her feel less alone for a second. But still I might need to find anoher way to share my energy?? :)

It's not only the music that makes me feel good. It's the people I've met here. I live with these easy-going, caring, funny people. They love pancakes and are very talkative! I sing with these most supporting and loving people. They are my inspiration. My morning hugs! 

 

Comments on my siinging with a pianist/ karaoke track

 I have also got my own practice place. A church! Yes, I got a whole church where I can sing and play piano, if I wish. Tonight I will participate in a Flamenco singing workshop. Can´t wait!

 Now I just need to get a bike and see my sweetheart Thomas Högnabba! Will you please come and visit me soon?

Have a nice weekend!

Kram till mina vänner och min familj hemma i Finn-landet and hugs to my friends who still travels around the world!

 

Bye bye comfort zone!

The first week at Complete Vocal Institute (CVI) is now over, and I feel great! I really love what I´m doing= learning. My classmates have got these amazing voices and our teachers are sooo talented! I feel like I have more energy now than I´ ve had in a long time. 

This first week has really turned me up side down. Already on our first day at the Academy we had to step out of our comfort zone, improvisation was on our schedule. Improvistion scares me! I was sweating like a pig and shaking like a leaf... I was so far beyond my comfort zone just to hear the word improvisation. We were devided into groups and our task was to come up with a short melody/song which included harmonies, rap, a rhytm, a bas line and so on... Fortunately I was saved by having great musicians in my group. So it ended up being really interresting and it was also a good way to break the ice. 

We have been introduced to 4 different kinds of singing methods at CVI; neutral, curbing, overdrive and edge. I do know that singing can be hard, but I didn´ t know that singing was this complicated! Still, these theories do make sence to me. During our sessions we´ve had time for individual "try-outs". Those people who know me well know that I don´ t like being the center of the universe, but CVI have no mercy. During our first round I thought I would die. But after a while I realiced that we all have some things to work on.

On the evenings I´ ve done some studying, of cause. One day my new danish neighbours invited me to their pancake evening. I couldn´ t say no to that! I also have been doing some outdoor exercise (jogging), a good way of exploring a new area. Last night I went out for a drink with my new classmates. It was a lot of fun!

 Now it's time for icehockey, Finland - Sweden. Good luck Suomi!!!

Many hugs,
Frida