There are few studies on how engagement with the arts can nurture health in school systems and how this knowledge can prepare students, through higher education, to a more sustainable and healthy working life (Bojner Horwitz et al., 2021, Bojner Horwitz et al. , 2022). Few studies link the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the agenda 2030 into higher education practice (Bell, 2019). Therefore, and the rational for our research is the need to generate and share knowledge on how students, teachers, and researchers can connect the SDGs to pedagogical practice, and how this relates to their sustainable healthy working life. “Sustainable and healthy working life-engaging through music and other creative activities” is the overall project name from which this research stems and which is a part of an Erasmus Plus programme, hosted at Turku Univer- sity of Applied Sciences in Turku, Finland. The “Agenda for research on the sustainable of public health programs” with the following variables: 1) Trust, 2) Capacity for learning, 3) Capacity for self-organization, 4) Diversity and 5) Common meaning, has inspired our work and built our theoretical background. To be able to understand how to build educational programmes that introduce and prepare students for a healthy and sustainable working life, we interviewed master students from the programme in Contemporary Performance and Composition (CoPeCo), students from the Teacher Education programme and students from the Music Therapy programme at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden. The overall aim is to gather information from creative music students from three different music education programmes, to be able to integrate sustainable and healthy knowledge-based curricula within artistic higher education programmes targeting students’ working life more specifically. This knowledge will help us build an educational platform for “arts & health” that facilitates students’ sustainable future working life. Our results suggest several practical implications for a programme for students that seeks to facilitate sustainable healthy working lives. The results strongly imply that art- based curricula or the art intervention programmes increasingly practiced in academia can be effective for enhancing workplace creativity and thereby sustainable health. The link between creativity and health needs to be better integrated in higher education. We suggest that educational programmes should employ more art-related creativity train- ing. We also suggest that we need more research on how to support the development of teachers’ creative problem-solving abilities, especially in the context of new skills de- velopment. Most educational programmes do not provide any type of formal creativity training for employees working in key areas of innovation and creativity. Our results show that continuously working with Health-Arts-Sustainability (here referred to HeArtS) later in the work environment could enhance creative capabilities, thereby driving innovation into a healthier working life for students, researchers and for teachers. Our next step is to spread and evaluate the HeArtS platform, through European implementation.

What researchers see in pre-school children's reactions to live classical piano music, and how this knowledge can be interpreted into a broader societal context, is the focus of this study. The specific purpose was to see how a transdisciplinary group of researchers, interpreted 32 pre-school children’s´ reactions when listening to a short live classical professional piano concert, Beethoven's piano sonata No. 23, Op. 57 ‘Appassionata’, first movement. The children were video recorded before, during and after the piano concert and were asked to draw self-figure drawings before and after the live concert. Through body language- and cognitive/verbal reactions, interviews, analyses of movements and self-figure drawings, a rich data from the pre-school children were analyzed and discussed. The concert affected the children in different ways and as interpreted from the narratives from the pre-school teachers; the children were absorbed and energized many days after the concert.Research collaborations across disciplinary boundaries are needed to deepen the knowledge of how music can contribute to children's creativity, curiosity, physical security, and creative learning for the coming school year. We need to look deeper into the meaning of kinesthetic musicality in pre-school contexts and more frequently ask in what ways knowledge is taught and organized.  

There are few studies on how engagement with the arts can nurture health in school systems and how this knowledge can prepare students, through higher education, to a more sustainable and healthy working life. Few studies link the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the agenda 2030 into higher education practice. Therefore, and the rational for this Intellectual output program is the need to generate and share knowledge on how students, teachers, and researchers can connect the SDGs to pedagogical practice, and how this relates to their sustainable healthy working life. 

There is robust evidence that the arts can be used to support mental health and well-being. However, there has been little exploration of the history of these types of activities. We believe it is meaningful to examine history to learn how best to manage and support those suffering from poor mental and physical health today. A clinically tested 10-step art-based program for ex- hausted students and patients has been developed over the course of twenty years of clinical practice and was created through a “learning by doing” con- cept, in which embodied knowledge was gained by participants undertaking “guided” bodily experiences. We found that the program led to an increase in conscious awareness of well-being among students and teachers. This article discusses the variation of the original program, adjusted to fit the needs of students and teachers in higher academic programs today. We also construct a bridge between past and present, by conducting a historical literature review. By doing this, we bring to light knowledge that our ancestors held about the signs and signals that we today could interpret as indicators of stress.

There are few studies on how to use art to prepare students, through higher education, to lead a sustainable and healthy working life. In order to enhance and develop the learning environments regarding creativity and health in higher academic education curricula, more studies are needed. Studies link- ing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the agenda 2030 into higher education practice are also few. The aim of this study is to gather information from creative music students to be able to build an educational platform for “arts & health” that facilitates a sustainable future working life for students. The results from two focus group interviews were used to develop an interview guide for five following in-depth individual in- terviews. The analytical lens that was used to conduct the interviews was based on a phenomenological hermeneutic method. The complete interpre- tation of the study is: “Educating meaning instead of perfection—Building a Health-Arts-Sustainability (HeArtS) platform”. According to our results, mean- ing is not created by doing things that you are good at. The students want a curriculum where the focus is on challenges; skills that you are not good at and therefore need stimulating. The students want more collective self-aware- ness and body awareness training and sharing in their curricula. The results strongly imply that art-based curricula or the art intervention programs in- creasingly practiced in academia can be effective for enhancing workplace creativity and sustainable health in working life. Therefore, we suggest that higher educational programs should employ more art-related creativity train- ing programs in the future.

Listening to music – various audiences in our future societies

Eva Bojner Horwitz and David Thyrén, Royal College of Music in Stockholm

That music listening can have strong emotional effects is widely accepted, and it is also known that the effects depend on several individual and environmental factors. There are different elements of the musical experience that influence the emotional response of the listener, of which we will try to focus on four that have been explored in the literature and which relate to a newly published study. The social changes in our societies will affect our audiences and education. Therefore new musical arenas need to be developed  and more included through the whole lifespan.

Inspired by the research work with the "Culture Palette" and the implementation of it in health care centres, schools and social centers, we developed the cultural health box - a popular scientifically tool box, to help people use cultural activities (such as music, dance, stillness, drama, film and pictures) for health preventation. It is written by well-known resarchers in the field of cultural health and is a rich material that is useful in self-care work for musicians. The box will be presented together with historical perspectives and other research work targeting music as prevention in health care.  

 The concept of the knowledge concert was developed by researchers at the Royal College of Music and Karolinska Institute in Sweden where live musicians and scientific researchers creates a performance related to an important societal issue. The emotional evocativeness music allows it to act as a facilitator of knowledge acquisition which it is argued enriches the learning environment. In this study, we have built on the idea of the knowledge concert with a novel focus on Nobel prize winners’ work. Knowledge is generated from live musicians and narratives from a cicerone. The two originators will in this study develop the concept of Prelude before Nobel as a knowledge concert. Further knowledge related to the Nobel Prize scientific findings was obtained by listening to live music. In this experience thoughts and feelings were stimulated, which increased the receptivity and understanding of the Nobel Prize in terms of both content and meaning.

Mirac 2019

Musikkonferens på DAVA vid Högskolan Dalarna i Falun 

20–21 november 2019

Vad är livemusik idag och vart är den på väg?

Learning from the past: The Denniz PoP Model on Madonna’s Future

 J-O Gullö, David Thyrén & Hans Gardemar

I projektet Searching for Sophia in Music Production Education forskar ett team vid Kungl. Musikhögskolan i Stockholm kring formella och informella lärandeprocesser i musikproduktion inom högre musikutbildning. I en delstudie (Gullö & Thyrén, 2019) har en teoretisk modell baserad på musikproducenten Denniz PoP utarbetats i kontextualisering med relevanta teoretiska begrepp som kreativitet, innovation, motivation och entreprenörskap i kombination med ett omfattande empiriskt källmaterial. I föreliggande studie testas och utvärderas modellen genom att appliceras på Madonnas poplåt Future, som under stor uppståndelse framfördes live under Eurovision Song Contest i Tel Aviv i Israel i maj 2019. Låten som skapat viss kontrovers bland annat beroende på liveproduktionen släpptes 2019 inom ramen för projektet Madame X. Studiens resultat påvisar att Madonnas Future involverar arbetsmetoder och stildrag influerade av Denniz PoP:s musikproduktion och låten uppfyller flera av modellens sju steg. 

Denna studie fokuserar på kärnegenskaper hos två mycket framgångsrika upphovspersoner inom populärmusik: Irving Berlin (1888-1989) och Martin Sandberg (1971-), också känd som Max Martin. Även om det naturligtvis finns stora skillnader i det omgivande samhället och den kultur där Berlin var och Sandberg är aktiv, finns ändå uppenbara likheter mellan de båda. I denna delstudie, som ingår i projektet Searching for Sophia in Music Production, presenterar vi en kunskapskritisk analys av två intervjuer; en med Irving Berlin och en med Martin Sandberg. Intervjun med Berlin genomfördes av Frank Ward O'Malley (1875-1932) och var ursprungligen publicerad i "The American Magazine", Volym 90, oktober 1920, där Berlin presenterade "Nine Rules for Writing Popular Songs". Intervjun med Martin Sandberg genomförde vi själva i november 2019 där vi, bland annat, bad honom bedöma en musikproduktions- och låtskrivarmodell som vi själva tagit fram baserad på strategier som användes av Dag Volle (1963– 1998), även känd som Denniz PoP. Vi har i tidigare delstudier utvecklat denna modell och Volle är mycket intressant som studieobjekt eftersom han, trots att han saknade formell musikutbildning, var en mycket framgångsrik svensk musikproducent och även lade grunden till att utveckla nya innovativa musikproduktionsmetoder som flera av hans medarbetare, där ibland Martin Sandberg, har fortsatt att använda och utveckla vidare. I analysen jämförs Berlins reflektioner kring sin egen modell ”Nine Rules for Writing Popular Songs” och Sandbergs reflektioner över vår egen Denniz PoP-modell. Undersökningsresultaten visar på stora likheter, men också vissa tydliga skillnader, mellan vilka aspekter som Berlin och Sandberg betonar som viktiga för hur upphovspersoner kan eller bör agera för att kunna skapa musik som lever upp till egna konstnärliga mål och även når stor popularitet. Erfarenheter från denna studie bör därför kunna bidra med värdefull kunskap till artister, musiker, musikproducenter och andra verksamma, som till exempel studenter, inom pop(ulär)musikproduktion.

The song "Smoke on the Water" was recorded by the British rock group Deep Purple and first released in 1972. The song had a global reach and contributed to Deep Purple's success and fandom. Smoke on the Water is also relevant to music education. The basic guitar riff in the song is easy to learn and has attracted many, especially boys and young men, to play guitar. And even today, 50 years later, it is common for pupils to know this riff and gladly show it to their teachers when they start taking music lessons. The purpose of the research project is therefore to analyse, problematize, and describe how and why Smoke on the Water has been important and how the song has contributed to music education and to get young people interested in guitar playing. The study finds its theoretical ground in the American psychologist Jerome Bruner’s nine tenets, all highly relevant to research in music education, complemented by other theories in pedagogy, economics, sociology, musicology, and gender studies. The empirical design includes interviews with music teachers, music leaders, music students and musicians in different countries as well as interviews with some original members of Deep Purple. The analysis confirms that it is a very well-known riff and that students in higher music education, still today, in general know the song Smoke on the Water well. Many also state that they have played the song in ensembles of various kinds. Many have also sung it. But despite this, most of the participating students in higher music education were ignorant to the lyrics, also among the singers who stated that they had performed the song. These findings are empirically surprising and leads to new questions and in-depth analyses. Why are the lyrics, for the students, clearly subordinate to the musical content? This, despite that previous research clearly shows that the lyrics, for many average listeners, can be just as, or even more, important as the music itself. Is this an example of an unspoken hierarchical value system in higher music education? These results indicate a field of tension, regarding what is important in a musical performance and in a piece of music, like Smoke on the Water, between those who perform and those who listen. The example above shows how this study can be used to clear the smoke and visualize areas with development potential within higher music education. 

Genom högskolereformen 2007 förändrades förutsättningarna för svensk högre utbildning på flera olika sätt. En viktig förändring var att lärandemål infördes som svar på frågan vad en student förväntas kunna efter sina studier. Nu drygt 15 år senare genomför vi denna studie i syfte att undersöka hur lärandemål för studenternas självständiga arbeten i högre musikutbildning har utvecklats och tillämpas. I undersökningen ingår analys av utbildnings- och kursplaner från samtliga svenska lärosäten som ger utbildning i musik, insamlade uppfattningar från lärare vid flera nationella konferenser om studenters självständiga arbeten samt olika erfarenheter vi samlat på oss när vi undervisat i högskolepedagogisk utbildning. Studenternas självständiga arbeten examineras vanligtvis genom konserter eller andra uppspelningar där klingade material redovisas samt vid seminarier där skriftliga delar ventileras. Även om de lärare som undervisar är ålagda att följa uppställa lärandemål visar denna undersökning att det hos många finns en stor osäkerhet kring framför allt bedömningen av studenternas arbeten men också hur målen ska tillämpas i undervisningen. När det gäller den klingande delen av ett självständigt arbete i musik är det mindre vanligt att studenter blir underkända. Däremot är det vanligt att den skriftliga delen måste omarbetas, ibland flera gånger, för att godkännas. Undersökningen visar att studenter ofta har svårt att skriva med organisation och inte kan skilja på vad som ska vara i olika delar av texten men också att de ofta har bristande kunskap om vilken funktion tidigare forskning har, inte förstår vilken effekt olika tempus har, blandar talspråk och akademiskt språk och ofta brister i etiska överväganden. Undersökningen visar också att studenter sällan på djupet har läst kurslitteratur, som handböcker, kursmanualer eller andra anvisningar och ofta inte heller tillämpar det som de har lärt sig i teori- och metodundervisning. En möjlig lösning, som också har starkt stöd i tidigare forskning, är att tidigt i utbildningen introducera disciplinbaserad forskning som gynnar studenternas lärande och kunskapsutveckling i allmänhet, men som också ger dem kompetens att genomföra alla delar av sina självständiga arbeten.

In our ongoing project Searching for Sophia in Music Production, we explore factors that have been of great significance for the Swedish music wonder. In this paper, the aim is to identify important individuals in various genres that have paved the way for Sweden’s international success in music. One hypothesis we are working with is that a few innovative individuals who acted as "icebreakers" created smaller "clusters" centered around record companies that were highly influential. We present a selection of musical icebreakers and clusters that have successfully contributed to the Swedish music wonder: Stig "Stikkan" Anderson and Polar Music International AB, Bert Karlsson and Mariann Records, Ola H.kansson with Sonet and Ten Music Group, Robert von Bahr with BIS Records, Per-Olof "Pelle" Karlsson with Prim Records and Dag Volle "Denniz PoP" with Cheiron Studios. The study is methodologically based on literature studies and an inventory of source material as well as interviews with key people in Swedish music life. Theoretical perspectives include Jennifer Lena’s and Richard Peterson's (2008) model for the life cycles of genres, with stages of creation, development, conservation and stagnation, Paul Thompson's model for creativity in record production (2019) and Mats Trondman's theories of folk musical expression (1999). In addition, the analysis also uses theories in motivational research (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and entrepreneurial research with relevance to music and music industry development (Tschmuck, 2006; Östman 2018). Our analysis clearly shows that single theories cannot explain all essential parts of the Swedish music wonder. A combination of several theories and explanatory models is therefore needed. In our presentation, core issues around this are discussed.

ABSTRACT 

During the last two decades, many Swedish songwriters and music producers have been internationally successful. At the same time, more and more students in Swedish higher education have studied music production and other courses with music in combination with design and new media technology. In this research project Searching for Sophia in music production we study how various aspects, including the development of the music and media industry as well as individual initiatives, have contributed to the growing Swedish export of music. The term Sophia refers to ancient Greek knowledge typology and is used to summarize the theoretical framework of the project. Sophia is understood as wisdom, or sagacity, and can be described as the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding and reason. Previous research clearly shows a variety of competences that are used and needed among musicians, music producers and others active in the art of music production.  Leadership is a very important aspect of music production and that's why we explore what we can learn from Denniz PoP's (1963-1998) leadership when he collaborated with his closest colleagues, including multiple award-winning songwriter/producer Max Martin.  The empirical source material includes interviews as well as radio and television programs, literature and an extensive inventory of Swedish music industry and consumer magazines. The results include a 7-step model for music production but also indicate that Denniz PoP's true expertise was his ability to make others in a team grow and perform well. And what best characterizes that form of expert knowledge can certainly be described in many ways. Core characteristics appear to be thoughtfulness combined with both creative ability and perseverance as well as a sense of order and discipline, aspects that may be very challenging to fully implement as learning outcomes in music production education.

Although Sweden is a small country, the Swedish music exports have been successful for many years. In our ongoing research project: Searching for Sophia in music production, we study how various aspects linked to music production may have contributed to the Swedish music industry´s international achievements. In this sub-study we focus on production methods available today, including digital production tools for music, and compare those with the production methods that were used before the age of streaming, in the late 1990s. Several previous studies focus on the technological development of digital music production tools. However, surprisingly little attention has been directed towards how such tools can affect professional musical creativity and productivity. This sub-study includes a case study of the Swedish music producer Dag Volle (1963–1998), also known as Denniz PoP. Volle had some unique music producer skills and also developed new innovative music production methods. Previous research has so far largely ignored his works despite his importance for the success of Swedish music exports. Denniz PoP is also remembered as mentor of Martin Sandberg [Max Martin] and therefore we analyze how the new tools and methods, that have been added over the years, may have affected the creative process of Sandberg and other successful Swedish music producers. The empirical material includes published sources of various kinds as well as interviews, conversations and written communication with some of Volle's closest associates who still are internationally active as music producers. The results indicate, firstly, that digital tools can help but also hinder creativity, and secondly, that several of the most important aspects of Volle's strategy as a music producer, for example to be driven by intrinsic motivation and by implementing music productions through collaborative processes, are still very relevant today - in the age of streaming.

In recent years, there have been major changes in society on many levels. Such changes are of course of great importance to many urban residents. The changes we are referring to in this paper, are how people listen to music. On the streets and walkways in e.g. Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, large hordes of young men and women nowadays travel on electric scooters and almost everyone wears headphones and listens to music. Also on commuter trains, subways and buses, most of the travelers also wear headphones and listen to music. Thus, music is constantly present in these people's lives. But at the same time, music clubs and other music establishments, are often finding it increasingly difficult to achieve profitability due to a declining audience interest. Also traditionally successful music arenas such as the opera houses have problems to attract audiences, despite extensive and often very costly marketing. However, the big arena concerts with international artists still attract large crowds. This means that listening to music has evolved into something that usually happens entirely individually or on occasions in very large contexts, like e.g. at arena concerts. In this paper we highlight some of the challenges that young music producers face, due to the changing society, as they develop their artistic activities. The Swedish music industry has for many years been internationally successful and we present some core explanations of the success and also reflect on how societal development may need changes for future urban music development.

Although there is a growing interest for music production in Swedish higher education, where many students today study the subject, we argue that music production may in many ways still be noticed as a blind spot in research. This paper explores how research and education in music production has emerged, in Sweden but also internationally, against the background of the ongoing research project Searching for Sophia in music production. This project investigates how various aspects linked to music production and music education have contributed to the Swedish music industry’s international achieve- ments. First, the development of music production courses and programmes in higher education is described, from the pioneering years in the 1980s until present. Next, we discuss key concepts in music production including the different phases of a music pro- duction and the role of the music producer. Thereafter we focus on four selected aspects of music production: creativity, innovation, motivation, and entrepreneurship. Further, future implications are discussed concerning the changes in how music is composed and produced, marketed, distributed, and how music is consumed today.

Background: Music listening can improve acquisition of new knowledge.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the emotional and cognitive effects of a knowledge concerton the attending audience.

Methodology: The audience was asked to complete a Visual Analogue Scale (10 cm) before and after listening to the concert, along five variables: Arousal, Degree of happiness, Degree of worry, Daily worries and Benevolence. Follow-up qualitative interviews gathered narratives from the participants.

Findings: 228 concert attendees took part in the study by completing the questionnaires (51 percent of the whole audience). Statistically significant changes were observed in the outcome measures for: Arousal (p=0.002), Daily worries (p<0.001) and Degree of happiness (p=0.01). Degree of worry interacted with age (p<0.001). No changes were found for Benevolence (p=0.93). Gender and previous music experiences did not make a difference to feelings evoked by the music. Age, however, was important since younger participants became more worried by the concert than older.

Originality: We discuss the potential role of future knowledge concerts that comprise qualities explored, such as mitigating a variety of embodied psychological capacities, including reflection and agency in audiences, facilitating learning about sensitive issues, and potentially also transformation towards prosocial mindsets and behavior.

Musicology is a well-established subject in higher music education. Although the re- search on musicology is extensive, there are few studies in the interdisciplinary field of arts and health in relation to music history. Arts and health are expanding research fields, which can benefit by learning from musicological perspectives in developing education programmes. This will help us to increase our knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of arts in relation to health, with key areas such as aesthetics and creativity. Through the lens of historical and musicological perspectives, the aim of this chapter is to deepen the understanding of arts and aesthetics, for the beneficial use of health and creativity in higher education programmes. It is based on intellectual output work led by the Royal College of Music in Stockholm within the Erasmus + ARTHEWE project. As an empirical basis for the analysis, a literature study has been chosen with the following focus areas: aesthetics, arts, creativity, health, and musicology. With a phenomenological lens, all the focus areas were interpreted via two researchers’ expertise areas: 1) a musicological expertise area, and 2) a music and health expertise area. The findings of this study indicate that arts have been central in every civilization throughout the world and in every culture. Health and healing rituals were expressed by means of art, music, dance, theatrics, and sculptures. Shamanic rituals may have func- tioned not only as symbolic but as health-promoting activities, helping to reduce anx- iety and to regulate emotions. Rituals could also stimulate and release social bonding hormones like oxytocin and neuropeptides such as beta-endorphin. Musical activities, in particular singing, helped to bond social groups and create stronger communities, sup- porting the health of both individuals and communities. The results from this chapter indicate that the curriculum of higher education can benefit from incorporating historical and musicological perspectives on arts in relation to health, aesthetics, and creativity. By doing this, we can increase our knowledge development and improve health through arts and aesthetics for the benefit of the next generation’s sustainability. This can be achieved by singing, musicking and dancing to encourage creativity, joy and flow and thereby stimulate students’ health.

Through a historical perspective, the overall aim with this study is to deepen the understanding of arts and aesthetics, in relation to health, for the beneficial use in higher education programs. Since prehistoric time, mankind has been using different art forms for health reasons. Artwork created by a society is a product of the culture that prevails within that society. Aesthetics is connected to art, and it spans over a wider field than just art. This literature review study brings different historical views on arts, aesthetics, and creativity. The human need for art, music and health is essentially the same through the ages. By bringing in a historical perspective on the healing powers of art and aesthetics we can be better equipped to reintroduce arts in higher education also as a healthy factor. We need to understand our history to be able to create an understanding of the healthy meaning of art for future higher education students. Lessons that have been used for millennia must not be lost.

Various audiences and listening situations – emotional effects 

Music listening can have a strong emotional effect on an audience, and this is depending on several individual and environmental factors. The type of music, if the music is live or recorded and the listeners’ familiarity with the music are factors of importance for these results. In the Swedish project “Performace Evaluations” we have gathered data from different kinds of audiences: school children, adult and elderly listeners. In the findings we see that the emotional response to classical music varies by type of audience and if the music is live or recorded. Those findings together with a historical exposé on how audiences have changes for 2500 years will be the focus on this presentation.

 2024 uppmärksammas 80-årsdagen för en tongivande svensk musiker. Björn J:son Lindh (1944–2013) var en verklig renässansmänniska som påvisade stor skicklighet och kompetens som pianist, flöjtist, kompositör, arrangör och bildkonstnär. J:son utmärkte sig musikaliskt genom ett unikt tonspråk, exceptionell genrebredd och ett stort inflytande över utvecklingen av svenskt musikliv från 1960-talet och framåt. Kanske bidrog han även till att lägga grunden till internationella framgångar för svensk musikexport, det som populärt kallas ”det svenska musikundret”? J:son rörde sig obehindrat inom konstmusik, jazz, fusion, rock, progg, folk- och världsmusik, teater- och filmmusik. Den musikaliska produktionen var kvalitativt och kvantitativt omfångsrik och innehöll hits som Cous Cous, Härifrån till Evigheten, Brusa högre lilla å, Mannen på taket, Europa, One Night in Bangkok, Bröderna Mozart, etc. Samtidigt är hans livsgärning relativt okänd för en yngre generation musiker där förväntningarna är höga, med krav på musikalisk mångsidighet och genrebredd, med multimodala kompetenser som artist, musiker och musikproducent, med mera. Syftet med denna panel är därför att förbereda och samla material inför ett tvärvetenskapligt kommande forskningsprojekt om Björn J:son Lindh. Detta för att generera ökad kunskapsutveckling om hur vi kan lära av illustrativa exempel från förr och förmedla det till nästa generation musiker. Här finns många tvärvetenskapliga ingångar med bäring på konstnärlig musikforskning, musikvetenskap, musikpedagogik och musikproduktion. Björn J:son Lindhs musikalitet och mångfacetterade liv i musiken är noterbart obeforskat samtidigt som flera viktiga medmusiker och kollegor finns redo att dela med sig av sina erfarenheter och livsberättelser. Ett första steg implementeras här i ett panelsamtal med inbjudna gäster, bestående av flöjtisten Dan Laurin, gitarristen Janne Schaffer och pianisten Staffan Scheja samt KMH:s tidigare rektor Göran Malmgren. De har alla rika personliga erfarenheter av att musicera och samarbeta med Björn J:son Lindh. Resultaten från paneldiskussionen planeras publiceras i artikelform. 

Inom vårt pågående projekt Searching for Sophia in Music Production utforskas faktorer som är av stor betydelse för det svenska musikundret. En viktig faktor är betydelsen av starka hits, dvs. låtar som blivit populära och verkligen slagit an en sträng hos en stor och bred publik. Här finns både en rumslig och tidslig dimension då hits kan uppnå status som tidlösa, odödliga klassiker. I detta sammanhang har vi valt att fokusera på hitlåten Främling som med stor framgång lanserades nationellt och internationellt 1983. Syftet är att analysera och belysa faktorer och omständigheter kring låtens tillkomst, lansering, eftermäle och vidare betydelse för det svenska musikundret. För att konkretisera och uppfylla syftet har följande forskningsfråga utarbetats: vilka avgörande framgångskriterier för Främling kan identifieras avseende nyckelpersoner, infrastruktur, entreprenörskap, marknadsföring, artisteri, konstnärliga kvaliteter och tekniska kvaliteter avseende musikproduktion? Detta problematiseras i relief till teoribildningar om kreativitet, motivation, entreprenörskap, musikbranschutveckling, artisteri, textanalys, musikanalys och musikproduktionsanalys. Metodiskt bygger studien på en fallstudie med ett varierat källmaterial bestående av intervjuer med branschaktörer, litteraturstudier, artiklar och webbsidor samt filmdokumentär om skivbolaget Mariann och analys av observationsdata utifrån filmklipp av Melodifestivalen och Hylands Hörna.      Studiens resultat indikerar att framgången med Främling förutsattes av ett långsiktigt och målmedvetet lagarbete med flera nyckelpersoner som var specialister inom olika kompetensområden. Arbetsprocessen hade en tydlig hierarkisk struktur men med lyhördhet för starka personlighetsdrag, personlig integritet och inre motivation. Förmåga till kalkylerat risktagande och vikten av att fatta snabba beslut i stunden var avgörande, liksom skickligt hantverk, musikaliska kvaliteter och unika artistegenskaper samt målmedveten långsiktighet i lanseringen av låten. Främlings stora genomslag var grundstenen i en lång och hållbar karriär för artisten Carola Häggkvist som framförde låten. Dessutom bidrog Främling till att skivbolaget Mariann än mer utvecklades som aktör i den svenska skivbranschen. Ytterligare en slutsats är att Främling skapade ökat manöverutrymme för svensk populärmusik nationellt och internationellt och även gav medvind till svenska segrar i Eurovision Song Contest 1984 och 1991.         

Sweden has a strong history of exporting music, dating back several decades. Some notable examples include Björn Skifs' Hooked on a Feeling, which became the first Swedish song to reach number one on the American Billboard charts in April 1974, and the international success of ABBA in the mid-1970s. Since then, many Swedish artists have achieved international success and Swedish producers and songwriters, such as Max Martin, have played a crucial role in the success of numerous global artists. In this paper, we are presenting the findings of a case study that involves music and text analysis, literature studies, and interviews with key players in the Swedish music industry. The aim of this study is to determine if the export of Swedish music can be partly attributed to the innovative use of "bad English" in lyrics. We have analysed the lyrics of several international hit songs, including ABBA's Dancing Queen; Money, Money, Money; Does Your Mother Know? and The Winner Takes It All; Herreys' Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley and Ace of Base's All That She Wants. The study focuses on three interrelated aspects: 1) the relation between the lyrics and melody, 2) the meaning of the lyrics, and 3) the sound of the lyrics. Our findings indicate that during the 20th century and beyond, a variety of exciting genres of American popular music emerged and spread globally. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, non-English-speaking European countries embraced new styles of music with English lyrics that originated outside the USA and UK. At that time, many European artists were not fluent in English, which led to the emergence of 'bad English' in pop music. Before World War II, very few Swedish artists sang in English. After the war, English became a mandatory second language in Swedish schools. American rock 'n roll had a huge impact in mid-1950s Sweden, followed by British pop in the early 1960s. During the 1950s and 60s, many famous Swedish rock stars sang in English but their proficiency in the language was limited. In Sweden, it is customary to have subtitles for movies and TV shows instead of dubbing them. As most of the foreign movies and TV shows shown in Sweden are in English, Swedes have a good grasp of the language and are not hesitant to speak it, even if their speech isn't completely fluent or grammatically correct. The analysis indicates that Swedish songwriters often prioritize the sound of the lyrics over their meaning. They also focus on creating universally understood titles. As they may not be familiar with English idioms, homophones, homographs, homonyms, puns, and multiple meanings, their lyrics can fit the melody, rhyme, and sound good phonetically. However, this can result in lyrics that are charming and amusing to native English speakers, while also feeling slightly eerie as they are very similar to correct English grammar, but not quite. Although the lyrics are not strictly incorrect, they may appear odd and perhaps even innovative.

Kluster och isbrytare inom det svenska musikundret

Inom vårt pågående projekt Searching for Sophia in Music Production utforskas faktorer som varit av stor betydelse för det svenska musikundret. I detta sammanhang åsyftas att identifiera viktiga aktörer inom olika genrer som banat väg för svenska internationella musikframgångar. En hypotes vi arbetat med är att ett fåtal mindre ”kluster” centrerade kring skivbolag med några enstaka personer som agerat som ”isbrytare” varit av stor betydelse. Här presenteras analyser av klustren Polar Music International AB, Mariann Records, Prim Records och Cheiron med isbrytare som Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson (1931–1997), Bert Karlsson (f. 1945), Svante Bengtsson (f. 1944) och Dag Volle ”Denniz PoP” (1963–1998).

Studien bygger metodologiskt på litteraturstudier och inventering av källmaterial samt intervjuer med nyckelpersoner inom svenskt musikliv. Teoretiska perspektiv inkluderar Jennifer Lena och Richard Petersons (2008) modell för genrers livscykler med skapelse, utveckling, konservering och stagnation, Paul Thompsons modell för kreativitet vid skivproduktion (2019) och Mats Trondmans teorier om folkliga musikaliska uttryck (1999). Dessutom används i analysen även teorier inom motivationsforskning (Deci & Ryan, 2000) och entreprenörsforskning med relevans för musik och musikbranschutveckling (Tschmuck, 2006; Östman 2018).

Vår analys visar tydligt att enskilda teorier inte kan förklara alla väsentliga delar i det svenska musikundret. Det behövs därför en kombination av flera teorier och förklaringsmodeller. I vår panel diskuteras kärnfrågor kring just detta.

Deci, Edward, L. and Ryan, Richard, M. (2000) Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. University of Rochester.Lena, Jennifer C. and Richard A. Peterson (2008) “Classification as Culture: Types and Trajectories of Music Genres”. American Sociological Review. Vol. 73, Issue 5, 2008.

Thompson, Paul (2019) Creativity in the Recording Studio – Alternative Takes. London: Pelgrave Macmillan.Tschmuck, Peter (2006) Creativity and Innovation in the Music Industry. Netherlands: Springer. Trondman, Mats (1999). Kulturpsykologi praktiken. Lund: Studentlitteratur AB.

Östman, Lars (2018)  Hur västvärlden fylldes med musik – människorna, organisationerna och musikens kedjor. Stockholm: Kulturhistoriska Bokförlaget.

Inom vårt pågående projekt Searching for Sophia in Music Production utforskas faktorer som varit av stor betydelse för det svenska musikundret. I detta sammanhang åsyftas att identifiera viktiga aktörer inom olika genrer som banat väg för svenska internationella musikframgångar. En hypotes vi arbetar med är att ett fåtal mindre ”kluster” centrerade kring skivbolag med några enstaka personer som agerat som ”isbrytare” varit av stor betydelse. Här exemplifieras ett urval musikaliska isbrytare och kluster som framgångsrikt men på olika sätt bidragit till det svenska musikundret: Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson och Polar Music International AB, Bert Karlsson och Mariann Records, Ola Håkansson med Sonet och Ten Music Group, Robert von Bahr med BIS Records, Per-Olof ”Pelle” Karlsson och Prim Records samt Dag Volle ”Denniz PoP” med Cheiron Studios. Studien bygger metodologiskt på litteraturstudier och inventering av källmaterial samt intervjuer med nyckelpersoner inom svenskt musikliv. Teoretiska perspektiv inkluderar Jennifer Lena och Richard Petersons (2008) modell för genrers livscykler med skapelse, utveckling, konservering och stagnation, Paul Thompsons modell för kreativitet vid skivproduktion (2019) och Mats Trondmans teorier om folkliga musikaliska uttryck (1999). Dessutom används i analysen även teorier inom motivationsforskning (Deci & Ryan, 2000) och entreprenörsforskning med relevans för musik och musikbranschutveckling (Tschmuck, 2006; Östman 2018). Resultat och slutsatser Vår analys visar tydligt att enskilda teorier inte kan förklara alla väsentliga delar i det svenska musikundret. Det behövs därför en kombination av flera teorier och förklaringsmodeller. I vår panel diskuteras kärnfrågor kring just detta. 

Forty Years of Främling – A Substantial Sustainable Hit

In our research project, Searching for Sophia in Music Production, we explore essential innovative factors for developing the Swedish music industry and flourishing music exports. One significant factor is the significance of solid hit songs, i.e. songs that have significantly impacted a broad category of people. A hit can affect people in time and space and can be timeless by withstanding the test of time. In this study, we have chosen to focus on the Swedish hit song Främling, which was launched nationally and internationally in 1983. We analyse and highlight factors and circumstances surrounding the song's creation, promotion,heritage, and further significance for how the Swedish music industry developed in the following years. To concretise and fulfil this purpose, we have used the following research question: what decisive success criteria for Främling can be identified regarding aspects suchas innovation, teamwork, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, marketing, artistic qualities and technical qualities in music production? We have problematised and contextualised the research question with theories about creativity, motivation, innovation, youth culture, entrepreneurship, music industry development, artistry, text analysis, music analysis and music production analysis. Methodologically, the paper is based on a case study with varied source material consisting of interviews with key players in the Swedish music industry,literature studies, articles, and websites, as well as film documentaries about the record company Mariann and analysis of observational data based on film clips of TV-shows like the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest and Swedish talk shows like Hyland's Hörna. Our findings indicate that the success of Främling was predicated on long-term and goal-oriented teamwork with several key people in different areas of expertise. The work process had a clear hierarchical structure but with sensitivity to strong personality traits, personal integrity, and inner motivation. The ability to take calculated risks and the importance of making quick decisions on the spur of the moment were crucial, as was the capacity to think creatively outside the box and challenge established formats. Skilful craftsmanship, musical qualities, unique artistic characteristics, and the purposeful long-term planning in the song's launching contributed to its enormous success. Främling's significant impact was the cornerstone of a long and sustainable career for the artist Carola Häggkvist, who performed the song. Moreover, Främling contributed significantly to the development of the record company Mariann as a significant player in the Swedish record industry. Another conclusion is that Främling created increased opportunities for Swedish popular music nationally and internationally and even laid a foundation for Swedish victories in the Eurovision Song Contest with the Herrey's in 1984 and Carola Häggkvist in 1991. To this day – forty years later – Främling still holds the record as the best-selling national album in Sweden.

David Thyrén, Senior Lecturer in Musicology, Royal College of Music (KMH) Sweden david.thyren@kmh.se +46 73 867 17 22

Jan-Olof Gullö, Professor in Music Production, Royal College of Music (KMH) Sweden jan-olof.gullo@kmh.se +47 70 236 52 92

Inom vårt pågående projekt Searching for Sophia in Music Production utforskas faktorer som varit av stor betydelse för det svenska musikundret. I detta sammanhang åsyftas att identifiera viktiga aktörer inom olika genrer som banat väg för svenska internationella musikframgångar. En hypotes vi arbetat med är att ett fåtal mindre ”kluster” centrerade kring skivbolag med några enstaka personer som agerat som ”isbrytare” varit av stor betydelse. Här presenteras analyser av klustren Polar Music International AB, Mariann Records, Prim Records och Cheiron med isbrytare som Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson (1931–1997), Bert Karlsson (f. 1945), Svante Bengtsson (f. 1944) och Dag Volle ”Denniz PoP” (1963–1998).

Studien bygger metodologiskt på litteraturstudier och inventering av källmaterial samt intervjuer med nyckelpersoner inom svenskt musikliv. Teoretiska perspektiv inkluderar Jennifer Lena och Richard Petersons (2008) modell för genrers livscykler med skapelse, utveckling, konservering och stagnation, Paul Thompsons modell för kreativitet vid skivproduktion (2019) och Mats Trondmans teorier om folkliga musikaliska uttryck (1999). Dessutom används i analysen även teorier inom motivationsforskning (Deci & Ryan, 2000) och entreprenörsforskning med relevans för musik och musikbranschutveckling (Tschmuck, 2006; Östman 2018).

Vår analys visar tydligt att enskilda teorier inte kan förklara alla väsentliga delar i det svenska musikundret. Det behövs därför en kombination av flera teorier och förklaringsmodeller. I vår panel diskuteras kärnfrågor kring just detta.

Inom vårt pågående projekt Searching for Sophia in Music Production utforskas faktorer som varit av stor betydelse för det svenska musikundret. I detta sammanhang åsyftas att identifiera viktiga aktörer inom olika genrer som banat väg för svenska internationella musikframgångar. En hypotes vi arbetar med är att ett fåtal mindre ”kluster” centrerade kring skivbolag med några enstaka personer som agerat som ”isbrytare” varit av stor betydelse. Här exemplifieras ett urval musikaliska isbrytare och kluster som framgångsrikt men på olika sätt bidragit till det svenska musikundret: Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson och Polar Music International AB, Bert Karlsson och Mariann Records, Ola Håkansson med Sonet och Ten Music Group, Robert von Bahr med BIS Records, Per-Olof ”Pelle” Karlsson och Prim Records samt Dag Volle ”Denniz PoP” med Cheiron Studios. Studien bygger metodologiskt på litteraturstudier och inventering av källmaterial samt intervjuer med nyckelpersoner inom svenskt musikliv. Teoretiska perspektiv inkluderar Jennifer Lena och Richard Petersons (2008) modell för genrers livscykler med skapelse, utveckling, konservering och stagnation, Paul Thompsons modell för kreativitet vid skivproduktion (2019) och Mats Trondmans teorier om folkliga musikaliska uttryck (1999). Dessutom används i analysen även teorier inom motivationsforskning (Deci & Ryan, 2000) och entreprenörsforskning med relevans för musik och musikbranschutveckling (Tschmuck, 2006; Östman 2018).

Over the last two decades, many Swedish songwriters and music producers have been internationally successful. During this time, more and more students in Swedish higher education have studied music production and other courses with music in combination with design and new media technology. In this research project searching for Sophia in music production we study how various aspects, including the development of the music and media industry as well as individual initiatives, have contributed to the growing Swedish export of music. The term Sophia refers to ancient Greek knowledge typology and is used to summarize the theoretical framework of the project. Sophia is understood as wisdom, or sagacity, and can be described as the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, and reason. Previous research clearly shows a variety of competences that are demonstrated and needed among musicians, music producers, and others active in the art of music production. Leadership is a very important aspect of music production and that’s why we explore what we can learn from Denniz PoP’s (1963-1998) leadership when he collaborated with his closest colleagues, and multiple award-winning songwriter/producer Max Martin. The empirical source material includes interviews as well as radio and television programs, literature, and an extensive inventory of Swedish music industry and consumer magazines. The results include a seven-step model for music production but also indicate that Denniz PoP’s true expertise was his ability to make others in a team grow and perform well. That which best characterizes that form of expert knowledge can certainly be described in many ways. Core characteristics appear to be thoughtfulness combined with both creative ability and perseverance as well as a sense of order and discipline, aspects that may be very challenging to fully implement as learning outcomes in music production education.

In this study we examined a case where twelve participants conducted farewell ceremonies for their deceased relatives. Taking a qualitative approach, we used interviews and questionnaires to focus on life stories that involve grieving. Specifically, we asked about experiences of the grief process as related to choice of music. Our results indicate that the role of music in farewell rituals is important for the grieving process in several ways. Firstly, music was associated with positive memories of the loved one and gave rise to experiences of recognition. Secondly, music facilitated active participation in the grieving process through choosing farewell music together with a relative. Thirdly, selecting music for the funeral in advance, together with their loved ones, was also experienced as hopeful, comforting and consoling before, during and after the bereavement.

The concept of the knowledge concert was developed by researchers at the Royal College of Music and Karolinska Institute in Sweden where live musicians and scientific researchers creates a performance related to an important societal issue. The emotional evocativeness music allows it to act as a facilitator of knowledge acquisition which it is argued enriches the learning environment. In this study, we have built on the idea of the knowledge concert with a novel focus on Nobel prize winners’ work. Knowledge is generated from live musicians and narratives from a cicerone. The two originators will in this study develop the concept of Prelude before Nobel as a knowledge concert. Further knowledge related to the Nobel Prize scientific findings was obtained by listening to live music. In this experience thoughts and feelings were stimulated, which increased the receptivity and understanding of the Nobel Prize in terms of both content and meaning.

The concept of the knowledge concert was developed by researchers at the Royal College of Music and Karolinska Institute in Sweden where live musicians and scientific researchers creates a performance related to an important societal issue. The emotional evocativeness music allows it to act as a facilitator of knowledge acquisition which it is argued enriches the learning environment. In this study, we have built on the idea of the knowledge concert with a novel focus on Nobel prize winners’ work. Knowledge is generated from live musicians and narratives from a cicerone. The two originators will in this study develop the concept of Prelude before Nobel as a knowledge concert. Further knowledge related to the Nobel Prize scientific findings was obtained by listening to live music. In this experience thoughts and feelings were stimulated, which increased the receptivity and understanding of the Nobel Prize in terms of both content and meaning.

Presenters

Cicerone Marika Griehsel, journalist and filmmaker

Eva Bojner Horwitz, professor in music and health

David Thyrén, senior lecturer in musicology

Special guests

Mpho Tutu van Furth, priest and author

Niclas Kjellström-Matseke, chairman, Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation

Cecilia Stenfors, associate professor, Stockholms universitet & Karolinska Institutet

Program

Tuning in and Improvisation Farshid Dalir – tombak

J.S. Bach – Chorale Prelude – Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 (1732) Arrangement by Feruccio Busoni. Staffan Scheja – grand piano

Peter Klatzow – Dances of Earth and Fire, 1^st movement (1988) Filip Korošec – marimba

Hendrik Hofmeyr Variazioni sopra una ninnananna africana, Op.101c (2007) Susan Yondt – grand piano

Miles Davis & Marcus Miller – Tutu (1986) Tumi Torfason – trumpet, Emmanouil Georgoudis – bass guitar, Farshid Dalir – percussion

Traditional Xhosa – Qongqothwane (The Click Song) Hava-Ja-Toivo Carels – vocals, Zandile Madlazi – vocals, Jessica Van Rooyen – vocals, Sonja Viviers – guitar

Gabriel Fauré – Après un rêve Op. 7 (1878) Siri Sperling – violin, Staffan Scheja – grand piano

Siegfried Kutterer – Letzigi (2011) Filip Korošec – percussion, Johannes Carlsson – percussion, Alexandru Munteanu – percussion

Hannes Taljaard – Thula, Sthandwa (2002) Susan Yondt – grand piano

Enoch Sontonga – Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika (1897) Hava-Ja-Toivo Carels – vocals, Zandile Madlazi – vocals, Jessica Van Rooyen – vocals, Sonja Viviers – vocals, Rineke Viljoen – grand piano

Presenters

Eva Bojner Horwitz, professor of music and health

David Thyrén, senior lecturer in musicology

Cicerone

Anna-Karin Palm

Special guest

Töres Theorell, professor emeritus Karolinska Institutet

Program

Kulning

Annie Engvall, vocals

Amanda Maier-Röntgen – Violin Sonata in B minor 1. Allegro (1873)

Siri Sperling, violin, Staffan Scheja, grand piano

Karin Rehnqvist – Jag vet, jag duger (2023)

Anna Rosén, conductor, with children’s choir (25 children)

Iñigo Eleta Romero, alto saxophone

Bo Wannefors, grand piano

Eric Sahlström – Vid Stormyren (1955)

Cecilia Österholm, keyed fiddle

Elfrida Andrée – Tonbilder, Op. 4 (1872)

1. “På vattnet”, 2. “Barnmenuett”, 3. ”Om kvällen”

Susan Yondt, grand piano

Georg Philipp Telemann – 12 Fantasies for Solo Flute, No. 12 in G minor, TWV 40:2–13 (1733)

Elisa Onegård, piccola

Frans Ferdinand Heimdahl – Wämöparkens gånglåt

Erik Westin, cornet

Jonathan Jennesjö, cornet

Zacharias Frato, alto horn

Håkan Björkman, valve trombone

John Lundén-Welden, valve trombone

Per Sjöberg, bass tuba

Sergei Prokofiev – Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34 (1919)

Staffan Scheja, grand piano

Clara Soler Trullás, clarinet

Kevin Huang, violin

Cornelia Vogel, violin

Hanna Anderberg, viola

Agnes Wall Ströberg, cello

Alexej Gerassimez – Asventuras (2011)

Filip Korošec, snare drum

Eric Sahlström – Ack Värmeland, du sköna (1822)

Cecilia Österholm, keyed fiddle

Kulning

Annie Engvall, vocals

Presenters

Ciceron Camilla Ringquist, singer, composer, musician

Eva Bojner Horwitz, professor in music and health

David Thyrén, senior lecturer in musicology 

Special guests

Stefan Einhorn, professor at Karolinska Institutet

Marijane Jonsson, post-doctoral researcher at the Stockholm School of Economics

Music program

Tuning in and Improvisation – Filip Korošec, marimba

Clara Schumann, Trio pour piano, violon et violoncelle, Op. 17. III Andante (1846) – Albert Dahllöf, grand piano, Josef Andersson, violin, Astrid Hillerud, cello

Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider-Esleben & Emil Schult, Radioaktivität (1975) – Fredrik Mathias Josefson, electronics. Arrangement by Fredrik Mathias Josefson

Frédéric Chopin, ‘Raindrop’ Prelude, Op. 28, No. 15 (1838) – Filip Korošec, marimba. Arrangement by Filip Korošec

Maurice Ravel – Violin Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 77. 2 Blues. Moderato (1927) – Siri Sperling, violin, Staffan Scheja, grand piano

Jean Villard Gilles, ‘Les Trois Cloches’ (1940) – Karolina Åsberg, vocals