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In March of 2022, Leading Tones Music was a big part of Puhallinpäivät (pronounced “POO-hall-een-pie-vat”). As composer Jukka Viitasaari explains, "Puhallinpäivät (literally "wind instrument days") is our annual band conference. It is held in different Finnish cities and features concerts and clinics, band music is sold, and so on. Very importantly, it offers like-minded people to see each other at least once a year.” Marja Ikonen added, “It was very refreshing to see colleagues after two years. For me the event was special because it was in Jyväskylä! I studied and lived there 1997–2003 so it was great to see all the places after 20 years… All bands were good but Puhkupillit will always be in my heart! Puhkupillit was conducted by Lassi Takanen and Sini Korhonen - Sini is my ex student from Rantasalmi!” Bringing people together was a powerful part of this year’s conference, as last year’s was completely online and Puhallinpäivät 2020 was canceled. Nevertheless, Leading Tones has had a strong relationship with the Finnish wind band community. We were featured in an online lecture at Zoom-Puhallinpäivät 2021, and Co-Owner Melanie Brooks made her first trip to Oulu for Puhallinpäivät 2019.
One interesting commonality between these works by Deterling, Holmquist, Lilliefors, and Mitton is that they include editions for both adaptable ensembles and “standard” wind band/string ensemble instrumentation. Leading Tones composers have a reputation of being forward-thinking in providing music that works for a wide variety of performing ensembles. This has become even more relevant and helpful during and after the pandemic.
To all of our friends in Finland, especially those who organized and attended Puhallinpäivät 2022, we would like to send you a huge KIITOS PALJON!
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This summer I had the immense pleasure of visiting the calm, beautiful, and musical Nordic country of Finland! As a past conducting student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, I was delighted to meet with friends and create new memories in the “land of the midnight sun.” Obviously, the trip also linked me with many Leading Tones composers and added a stellar concerto performance by expert young musicians. The first point on my journey was deep into the Finnish countryside, where a distinctive music camp takes place every year for both adults and children. Ultimately, the enormous forested landscape and the impassive tradition of sitting silently in the sauna brought me back to the Shipman’s Song. Finnish traditions, cultural and musical, are actually worth checking.
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