Different Sound – Common Ground

"I come from the Indie pop world, but I have a bachelor's in classical percussion," says percussionist Mie Bergh, as if purposely giving an example of the typical FRIMA musician.

She was originally aiming to study rhythmic percussion.

"Classical percussion was never really my passion," she says.

Now, she mostly uses electronics and a laptop, which is her principal instrument as a student at NMH – but she still uses the vibraphone.

"That's what I have mostly taken with me from the classical percussion world."

Clarinet player and improviser Luís Melo is originally from Portugal. His musical journey started through his grandfather, who conducted a small wind ensemble in his Portuguese hometown. Luís ended up doing it all – the music academy, the conservatoire, a bachelor's…

"Young Luís thought he was going to be an orchestra musician and wear his tuxedo all the time," he says jokingly about himself.

Then, during his previous master's studies in Belgium, a sudden shift occurred.

"I got a little tired of people telling me what to do all the time. How I should play my instrument and how I should approach music."

He started improvising and playing free jazz, calling it an act of rebellion on his behalf.

When asked to articulate what her master's project is, it becomes clear that for Mie, it's all about exploration and process.

"I get this question so often, and I answer differently every time."

She laughs, before saying that using electronics in new ways is central to her master's. She also makes her own videos that she writes music for. Her summary:

"Exploring all the weird musical impulses I get and how to make music to different constellations and combinations."

A common denominator for Mie and Luís' projects is the ability to adapt and make the best of their circumstances.

When Mie lost her dream job as a theatre musician, her plans fell into pieces. She had even moved to Tromsø and had to rethink her whole future.

"Then I went to my cabin," she says and calls it a big cliché. There, she created a film with music to go along with.

Working with video as a sort of score has become an important part of her practice.

"Then I don't have to focus on myself, cause I actually find that a bit uncomfortable."

Following visuals, when it comes to timing, is very fun and interesting to her.

Luís' upcoming concert is Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, written while the composer was a prisoner in a concentration camp during the Second World War.

"As Mie did, you turn a bad situation into something good. Messiaen did the same."

The clarinettist calls Messiaen and Bach his favourite composers, and they also resonate with him spiritually in his practice. The quartet is based on the Book of Revelation from St. John's gospel, which Luís says is full of symbolism.

"His music is very fragile, and it takes a lot of maturity to play this piece."

Although Luís no longer plays classical music regularly, Messiaen's musical language remains a strong influence on him as an improviser. And, according to Luís, the quartet is not about whether the music is notated or improvised.

"It's above music, it's about something else. The message inside the core of it is bigger than any of us."

His master's project revolves around meditation and communication. He explains:

"What do you want to communicate, what energy do you want to pass on? Music is not in the notes; it's within you. The paper is just a guideline."

When asked about studying with such a diverse group of musicians, both Mie and Luís sum it up with one word:

"Amazing!"

Luís elaborates:

"It's all about diversity, I think, in our own language and our own approach."

He uses AI music and Spotify as examples of the opposite.

"Spotify kills diversity and community. You know, music to build community; common unity."

The world out there is trying to make everything into one generic ball, Luís thinks. At FRIMA, it's the other way around.

The students constantly benefit from each other's perspectives, Mie says.

"I think many of us have been in the situation where we think, 'What you are doing is not relevant to me at all.' But then you get to know one another, and new ideas just pop up. From people you thought you had nothing in common with, who do vastly different things."

They both agree that FRIMA students are not as different as they seem on paper.

"There is a core that connects us; we are all searching for our own way to express ourselves. That common ground is very important."