UPDATE JANUARY 2023
January 3, 2023
My first post in a LONG time. A lot has happened since my last one with the pandemic obviously affecting everyone’s lives one way or another. In my case, it didn’t change my everyday life that much. Having two small children and my job at Malmö Academy of Music to take care of, I pretty much managed to stick to my routines and could keep working although under different circumstances at times. Even with very few gigs during this time, it’s been an intense period and trying to stay on top of things have definitely been enough, even without freelancing very much.
I’m hardly performing at all right now but I have been getting back into practicing a bit more and a bit more regularly. I’m quite happy about that, consistency makes such a big difference! I’ve gotten together with percussionist/drummer Lennart Gruvstedt on a few occasions in order to ask him some specific questions regarding technique and sound which has been very rewarding and inspiring. Those are some of the topics I’m spending time on at the moment. At the drum set, I also know quite well what I want to develop and in what direction I want to go and I’m feeling inspired and focused. Things will pick up when it comes to getting back into playing with and for people. In the meantime, I spend whatever time I can to continue studying and developing on my own.
As part of my job at Malmö Academy of Music, there are two projects that I’m working on this year. I’m putting together a book of exercises with the working name “Drum Set Warm Ups”. This book will consist of exercises that I originally created for myself but that I’ve continued to develop and will introduce to students in this format. More on this in a later post.
Together with a few colleagues, I’m also part of a project where we’re each writing a chapter about our thoughts on practicing. The timing for this project turned out to be perfect for me because I’ve been thinking a lot about practicing, development and where to put your focus while getting back into more of a practice routine myself.
This spring, I’ll again be working at Malmö Stadsteater where we will be performing “Monicas Vals” for a third and final run.