Monthly Archives: December 2017

Looking back and looking forward

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Tomorrow is the last day of 2017, so I thought I´d take this time to reflect on the year that has passed. Quite eventful both in my personal life and my career, although I´ve taken time to do less work, which is an achievement in itself.

The year started of with a huge change in my life, with the birth of my son. The same spring I got my bachelor of Culture and Arts. The autumn of 2017 was therefore the first autumn without studies since 2008. The last 9 years I´ve  been enjoying the opportunity to study the Arts and finding my way of expressing myself, first via my studies at Centria University of Applied Sciencesd for the Performing Arts, and also at the Central Ostrobothnian Conservatory where I studied music. I then continued my path to Novia University of Applied Sciences to study Music and pedagogy. At the same time I took some courses of Music therapy at the Open Univeristy Chydenia. 3 degrees in 9 years feels like quite enough, but they have been so fulfilling years artistically and for me to find my own direction. I sincerely want to thank all these establishments for the opportunity to take part of the studies provided.

What can I then look forward to in 2018, and what can I already let you in on? There are a few things I haven´t got in the bag so to say yet, so they are dreams that maybe will be fulfilled. I have started meditation for my own ( and surroundings) benefit, to really see joy and gratitude in life and I recommend we all take time for reflection and well “selfhelp”. Stress is so present in all our lives, we truly need tools to comprehend the important things in life and our importance. I have found meditation to be a path I want to continue to follow. I also am really trying to find time for work and the social media part it craves, but at the same time lessen my screen time and not be connected all the time. Balance, we all need balance. Some days this is easier than others.

Well work then — Something that I really am happy about is that the project Vild will continue and have a few performances, we will for example visit Vasa this spring. So we will be taking a day of promo shooting soon and I´ll let you in on that when the day arrives.

Also La Riippa Group has promo shooting to look forward to, next week to be exact, and that is due to our album which release date slowly nears. Hopefully you’ll soon hear us on the radio. The same is with the album that I am working on with my cousin, release date to  be announced shortly. But you can find us on facebook, where also all the other ensembles will get pages to easily follow our work and upcoming shows.

Let´s see how the summer will look, we´re booking with all ensembles at the moment and I’ll write all upcoming shows in the widget where you can easily find the info. There will be some reggae and folksy tunes aswell, besides my own artistic projects. Also the drama project at the museum continues with quite a few shows for the schools in Kokkola.

I am lucky to have gotten a scholarship to attend Drama Boreale in Gothenburg next August, and I´ll take my family with me. Drama Boreale is a nordic conference in drama/theatre education. Three years ago it was in Silkeborg Denmark, and I enjoyed my participation there a lot and hope for a tremendous conference once again.

As soon as I get more to announce, I´ll do so. I’ll end this post with another part from the performance Vild. There are a few mishaps with this performance, but I find it to be beautiful nevertheless, and we learn from our flaws. This is Krafte/Force, as I want to end this post with a promise of light and hope.

Happy 2018!

/Jessica

It’s not always easy

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It seldom is..
I am lucky in many ways and have been able to do a lot of work already although my baby is just about 10 months. I’ve graduated, done a few gigs, worked and performed a play and so on.. But at the moment I am feeling quite frustrated with the situation. I have so much I should do but almost all my time is needed as a mother, and obviously that is what I have to do. But I feel very torn on this subject. Envy is an emotion that is getting hard to quench and I start to minimize my own worth and capability as an artist, musician, teacher.. mother.
How can it be that I still haven´t managed to get La Riippa Groups album ready? How can it be I don’t publish more? Why don´t I create more? Where am I?
And then again. I sit here on the floor as my boy is sleeping in our bed. He’s been teething and the poor soul has had difficult nights. Obviously this is were I am needed and were I myself need to be, but the contradictions of the roles in my life is really harassing my mind and I feel inadequate.
What a relief then to now have some time in the morning to write down these thoughts as an artist and mother. And what a relief to have had an easier night and my son seems to be feeling better and those little pearly whites and gums  are not aching as much today.
So after taking some time to reflect and get my head together: what has happened since the last post?
I had the immense pleasure to work with Rock Donna again. Rock Donna is a community that work for girls right and opportunity to do music. You can check out the work Rock Donna does on their homepage www.rockdonna.com.
The community has been based in the Southern part of our country where they have been working since 2012 more or less, and last year we had our first workshop here in Ostrobothnia were I live. Last weekend we finished our second workshop and this time it was in Jakobstad. This time the workshop was for girls in elementary school and we had a happy bunch of 8 participators.
The day was a nice one and I am quite sure the kids felt likewise. But it was a long day for me and I even managed to once again misplace my phone in the way of my people (I am one among my relatives who are prone to misplace stuff..and forget..)
As I earlier mentioned -envy, why not tackle that here and now. As I now have been nursing a teething baby who has more or less been glued to me, yes the emotion of envy has hit hard. I am in the marvelous position of having friends in the field of art and music, and these friends are very talented. Oh my how talented!! and as I sit in my dark corner with a cloud on my head I almost feel a bit resentment. Resentment with my own life at the moment. And that is a feeling I have, not good or bad, it´s just the truth. I am very lucky and I love my son and I would not want it any other way, but nevertheless I long for a bit more freedom to create and be part of a cultural life beyond the walls of my home. These are emotions, and emotions are not always rational, but they are justified to be acknowledged.
I give you envy.
Envy that women feel towards other women.
May it be about beauty, physique, relations, talent, positions.
This is an ugly emotion, and we have all known it.

With me on stage:
Wilma Mustonen and Moa Ketonen (dancers)
Maria Autio, Jennifer Marlin, Rosa Latva (vocalists)
Thank you for reading this far, and I already feel stronger. Here in Finland we also are in the middle of the KAAMOS. A lovely state when the sun rarely shows itself, what a joy!
All my love to you fellow sisters and brothers!
/Jessica