Joel Lundberg

What does music mean to you personally?

I know that you should never take something for granted, but still, I do that when it comes to music. Music is always present in my life. Both physically and mentally.

Do you agree that music is all about fantasy?

No, I do not believe so. For me as a non-performing composer, music can sometimes be very concrete almost mathematical and architectonic in its nature. However, I strongly believe that music can and hopefully will trigger fantasies within the beholder of the music.

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

Well, to be honest… I don’t know. I do a lot of different things within the musical realm and have done so the larger part of my life. Being a father, composing, arranging, touring and working at a synth-manufacturer makes my musical life complex and diverse but it also gives me perspective, I believe.

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

I do not think that much about it. We are all getting older… I try to not worry so much and focus on my own work.

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 do not think that the role of music will change, only the shape and attribute of it.

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

I believe that the amount of creativity is constant. The world around us change rapidly, and creativity along with it. But the amount is constant.

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

I have been a touring musician since early age. Playing all over Europe, America and Japan in a progressive indie-rock band. These tours and travels ,along with a master degree in composition and improvisation, have given me perspective and experiences not that common (I guess) in the classical world. For the piano suite Music from a Room, I had this idea of bringing the “fine” music back to the “ugly” or “common” room, as long there is a decent acoustic piano present. It is important for me to emphasize that I don’t believe there is such things as “fine” and/or “ugly” rooms. But what I rather mean is that to appreciate and listen to classical music you should not have to go to the concert hall wearing a ballroom dress or a tuxedo… I am not excluding the traditional classical venues, that would just be plain stupid. On the contrary, I believe that the combination would be great and more inclusive. One night you play in the bar at Michelberger Hotel the next night you play at the Piano Salon Christophori in Berlin.

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

I believe that a composition needs at least one frame. The frame has several purposes, one is to give the rhythms, melodies and chords residing within it meaning and substance. A composition can have several frames, almost like a collage. This might sound strange, but another purpose is to narrow down the number of creative options. I believe that limitations foster creativity, so in that sense the frame also aids my creativity by constraining the space wherein the creativity must take place. The frame is only interesting from a composer’s perspective, whether the beholder hears or sense the frame is irrelevant. This goes for any form of composition, whether it is for a small ensemble, orchestra, solo piano or electronic instruments. The last couple of years I have had focus on composition for piano and up until now I have composed two suites for piano, Music from a Room and Odysseys and Apostrophes. Before every project I do research by studying scores, often searching for techniques that I can implement into my compositions.

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

Go to concerts and if you have even the smallest degree of musical training, try to read the score whilst listening to the music. If not, just use your ears and be curious!

Do you think about the audience when composing?

No. But I do however think about the performer. I strive to make every note relevant for the performer without compromising the actual composition. A happy interpreter equals a happy composer and therefore resulting in good music.

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

Apart from composing music for a variety of different electronic instruments, I am doing research for a new album… Not yet composed nor recorded. I am always experimenting.