On Thursday last week, Ásbjörg and I met with the high school students in MD2A. They are taking a composition class as a part of the music program they are taking at Bodø High School, and we are so happy that OUTPOST is a part of their class.
Since I, Birgit, is in Oslo and Ásbjörg is in Iceland, and the students are in Bodø, we met through zoom. We talked about many things, for instance what the definition of a composer or a performer is, and who has the right to define it. We also talked about what kind of ingredients a musical piece need to contain, and the piece we have composed together: What's in my home. You can listen to the piece under "pieces" in our menu.
The most interesting and inspiring part of the conversation was when we discussed these quotes:
“If it is art, it is not for all, and if it is for all, it is not art.”
“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.”
“A creative artist works on his next composition because he was not satisfied with his previous one.”
“Music is a form of prayer.”
“The music I create is not for me. It's for others.”
“Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is.”
“Composing is never about reaching perfection. It's about participating in a process.”
“The old idea of a composer suddenly having a terrific idea and sitting up all night to write it is nonsense. Nighttime is for sleeping.”
These are quotes by composers on composition, music and art. Ásbjörg and I put together the list, and sent it to the students a few days before our meeting. The students shared their reflections on the quotes with us, what they disagreed and agreed with. They had different interpretations then Ásbjörg and me, so it was really great to hear from them. We are looking forward to more inspiring conversations in the future.
Here are two pictures of the students, and you can also read more about them under "artists" in the menu. The photographer is Andreas Mareliussen.
