Jakob Rylander

What does music mean to you personally?

Music is a language of emotion using sound as a medium of associations that we connect our own experiences by. Speaking though this language creates a deeper connection through emotions than words alone ever could. Music helps me connect to other people and it helps me understand myself.

Do you agree that music is all about fantasy?

Music is all about emotions, but to evoke the emotions you want through the music you need to use your fantasy and creativity.

If you were not a professional musician, what would you have been?

I’m not a professional musician but it’s something I would like to be. I’ll be creating music for as long as I can whether or not it’s my primary job. If it’s not my primary job I’d probably combine it with a job were I work with and for other people.

The classical music audience is getting old, are you worried about the future?

Neither art or music is static. The way we play music and the instruments we play are different compared to what has been, and I believe it will continue to change. There will always be a need of music, and classical music as a buildning block will be used and listened to, but the way it is listened to and used will probably change.

What do you envision the role of music to be in the 21st century? Do you see that there is a transformation of this role?

I believe music will always be a part of humanity. It strengthens human connection, mind and body, and as long as it exists it will continue doing that.

Do you think that the musician today needs to be more creative? What is the role of creativity in the musical process for you?

Create whatever you feel like. There is no bad music, only bad narratives. Don’t let anything stop your creativity. If you are unsure about something in the moment remember it can always be improved with some help. I don’t think creativity can be scaled, but a song needs both old and new elements in relation to its time period to satisfy. The old elements are what you can build your creativity with to create something new.

Do you think we as musicians can do something to attract the younger generation to music concerts? How would you do this?

Explore and combine the music with the audience. Make them part of the process and experiences. Media platforms is a good medium to reach out to as many people as possible. The more people that are aware of your music the more they might come to concerts.

Tell us about your creative process. What is your favorite piece (written by you) and how did you start working on it?

When composing my piano piece Ponera I had two melodies I wanted to combine. I let them take their place in the piece and developed them with variations over time while adding complementary parts to connect them in a seamless way together with a fun rhythm. The pieces blended together with a long time of trial and error trying to fit harmony, rhythm and melody in a cohesive way. It started with a melody, chord progression and rhythm that developed over time.

Can you give some advice for young people who want to discover classical music for themselves?

Search for popular classical pieces on any music platform and play along with the music. Classical music spans over hudreds of years which includes an immense amount of music. Start with the most known pieces by the most known composers and delve deeper into the music that you connect with over time. The well of classical music reaches deeper than any other genre so when you find some composer you like you’ll have whole sea of music made by them for you to listen to.

Do you think about the audience when composing?

Music should be as enjoyable to the preformer as it is to the listener. I try to compose my music as accurate to the real instruments capabilities as possible, but I won’t stop my ideas from creative liberty. When the composition conveys what it is supposed to on paper, it’s not wrong taking creative liberty while preforming it either.

What projects are coming up? Do you experiment in your projects?

I’m doing an album of piano music inspired by my surrounding environment.