#your finnish lesson of the day

[mehilaiselokuva]

Interviewing a beginner Finnish learner

A bit of a different post for today! I have been working with a friend who has started self-learning Finnish. Maybe you can gain some inpiration or tips from this interview we conducted! I have added extra commentary bits to some parts, marked with "C".

PREFACE

Interviewer: Me

Interviewee: @nuniante

Been learning Finnish for: half a month

Previous knowledge of the language: none

1. How long have you studied finnish actively?

A) ive been studying for just about half a month

2. What is your study routine like? do you study daily?

A) i try to write notes everyday about grammar concepts i think will help me advance at my current level (so far really basic stuff). i try but dont study daily. i also use duolingo to learn basic expressions/vocab and try to immerse myself in finnish through making some of the apps on my phone in finnish.

C) He tends to write at least one sentence in Finnish a day in our groupchat to the best of his abilities and will ask if he doesn't know a word. I feel like that's a very good way to learn when you are learning a specific dialect like he is.

3. What kinds of notes do you take? what do you write down? do you always write things down or just memorize things without writing?

A) my notes are basic. i write in the exceptions but i dont really go into detail sometimes. i might skip over something mentioned in the lesson or material im using if i think that a concept they bring up is inferrable. for vocab i try to memorize words i learn because i know so few that theres not much point to writing anything down. i think when ill reach a more advanced level ill start to write down more

C) I think that this approach is great, finding things you know you'll use and learning those first is useful!

4. What was your initial plan when studying? what things did you study in what order?

A) my initial plan for studying was trying to learn the basics and formal language to help me in learning colloquial speech, which i planned to learn from a friend (im talking about you juho). so far ive studied the basic cases + declensions, basic verbs conjugations, demonstratives and conjunctions and im rn learning about the numbers and the plural forms of nouns. i plan to take a break from grammar and learn vocab next.

C) Remember that all this is just half a month in! I think learning grammar before vocab is very good! You'll start picking up core words while doing that and of you perfect those grammar points early on, you will find speaking and writing easier fast.

5. What is your goal?

A) i dont really have a goal, but i think that if i could hold up a real conversation in finnish id feel successful.

6. What has been the most difficult + easiest?

A) i think the hardest thing so far has been consonant gradation or numbers. gradation can feel irrational, what with weird sound changes (eg. k > v) and also how you cant really predict what grade a noun/verb should be in depending off its form. easiest might be vowel harmony. you can decide harmony just by feeling what sounds better.

C) For once, a learner has not only learned vowel harmony but has no mistakes using it and will not forget that it's there. If you are more than half a year in learning and you still cannot remember to apply vowel harmony accordingly, you need to make it your priority ASAP.

7. How would you rate your current finnish level (speaking, writing, reading)

A) id say theyre all low. reading is probably my highest because i dont really consume finnish any other way. juho said my finnish accent is ok so i think that makes speech second. i havent listened to finnish yet so i cant even tell.

C) This person writes and speaks better Finnish than some people who have been learning the language for like three years! He is very careful with congruence which many learners don't consider very much. This means that he is eliminating most of the beginner mistakes very early on

8. Additional comments.

A) i like saying hyvää yötä

C) I like that our groupchat has started using Finnish and picking up words like "joo" and "sama asia" since we speak the language now. I consider it very admirable that this person has not only started writing Finnish early on, but he is learning kirjakieli, puhekieli AND a dialect all the same time!

Feel free to use this as motivation or inspiration! I recommend finding a learning style that fits you, so remember that what worked for this person might not work for you! I could make this a series honestly, are any of you interested in participating?

[mooncrack]

Gaz was a trouble maker. Him, Ghost, Price. And Soap were the troublemakers of the school. You wouldn't want to get in there way. It wouldn't be pretty. People call the 141. Nobody known how they got that nickname. They just did.

Price, or his acsual name John is the leader, being the oldest of them all. He's the ring leader and his older sister laswell (real name kate), always helps them get out of trouble.

Ghost, or Simon, is the most violent of all of them. He doesn't usualy 'caus trouble unless you piss him of enough. With usualy ends with the poor person having a couple broken bones. And he always wears a facemask in school with a skull on it, weirdly enough.

Soap, or Johnny is the youngest and most caotic of them all. He is the one who comes up with the 'pranks' and the poor person who's going to get 'prankt'. He's also just barely the shortist of them all (Gaz being two inches taller then him). He's also in the same year as Gaz.

And lastly, the Gaz himself. Or his real name Kyle. He is the jock pretty boy of the group. All the girls are swooning over him. He is the captain of the basketball team, and a fine ass locking man. That doesn't mean he's smart- he is falling most classes (Soap is too, but thats more obvius) sinds he doesn't care to studie. Even with all these girls swooning over him, he has rarely dated somebody. He's not really a player.

And then there is you. Your the new foreign exchange student. With cripaling social anxiety. And you just transferred for there school. Your luckly enough to fall into the background until your first lesson. Maths. Not the best first start, but it could of been worse. And then the teacher makes you introduse yourself infornt of the class. Amazing. You reluctenly and quickly Introduce yourself. You were placed next to a guy name Kyle (sinds the teacher must hate you) and the lesson starts.

But the thing you didn't know is that Gaz fell inlove with you at first sight. Your accent. Your hair. Your eyes. Everything. He was smittend. And know he was sitting right next to you. All focus is out of the window for him. He is even trying to focus of whatever that boring teacher is saying. Just. you.

Eventualy we get asignments handed out that he (the teacher) wants us ti finnish THIS lesson. What a mennis. So you focus all your attention of finnishing this asignments sinds ofc your not going to get in trouble on your first day. Minutes after the asignment is handed out you feel a tap on your shoulder. It's your desk partner, Kyle

"Could you help me with this?"

he asks you pointing to a question. You already had this subject at your previos school so this is light work. You start to exsplain the subject with leads into a convo.

When you agree to exsplain the subject and the question to Gaz he is astatic, listening to your every word. As you dumb down the subject exsplaining it with ease. With somehow makes him acsualy understand it. But he uses this as a opertunity to start a acsual convo with you to learn more about you. Like what country you come from, what your natie language is (he'd 100% try and learn or understand it if it isn't english) and what you like

As he hears you rant about things you like and your home country, he can't help but think that you would be perfect victim of one of Soap's 'pranks'. But he wouldn't allow that. But he couldn't let them know that he is head over heels for the new weird foreign kid. But the fact that you help and exsplaind maths to him. He could use the exscuse that you are tutoring him. But no matter what. Your not gonna get bullied by his boys. He won't allow that.

-------------------------------------------------------

Hallo, everybody. I just wanna say sorry for the spelling mistakes, I'm dyslexic and english is not my first language- I also hope yall like the story and I could posibly continue it by doing a part two? Or stick to the univers and do a Ghost, Soap, or Price fic. I'm always open to critisism, but please be kind and don't correct my spelling- (it's anoying and nobody cares). But I hope you have a great rest of your day! Doei!

[mirjam-writes]

My research process for Be Still My Soul

I was asked about my research for Be Still My Soul (GO human au fanfic set in Finnish history. It has also its own blog @be-still-my-soul-fanfic for extra notes and background info), and I was so excited for a reason to babble about my process! Thank you for asking <3

The question was this:

Can I ask what your research process is? How long you’re willing to spend on it and then separating things you’ve discovered while interesting might not be right for the story you’re telling

The quick answer to "how long you're willing to spend on it" is always "way too much", truly ridiculous amounts! But I was also building on a foundation of existing knowledge. I have no degrees on history, but we learned the basics of all this at school. I also loved to listen my grandparents stories of the olden times as a kid; not necessarily about the war, but farming, customs and architecture. My proper interest in the civil war period began in 2018, during the 100th anniversary year. There were a lot of events, articles and news about the war, so I decided to read some of them, including old classics, and visit some museums. When I stumbled upon a reference I didn't understand, I read more, and that was a whole rabbit hole... But! When I started outlining Be Still, I was able to base it on a lot of knowledge I already had, and was able to add the big beats of the love story to the real historical timeline.

Then I started writing. I took a scene or a short period I had outlined and started to ask myself questions. What needs to be shown for the reader to understand the next big beat. What do the characters know, what do they see, what do they think. I always started my research from something related to the outline BUT it definitely got off track and severely out of hand so often! I found new details I could add to the story, and a whole bunch of details I hyperfixated in, researched for days---and used only maybe in one offhand paragraph.

I left so much out, because it was, at heart, a love story and not a history lesson. And some things made no sense to be explained in the story because they were every-day stuff for the characters! So, from the very early on I realised I needed an outlet for all that extra info in order to not clutter the story, and that's how the blog was born.

My biggest tools for research during writing were

online newspaper archives (to figure out what people actually knew and discussed at any current day I was writing about, because nowadays we of course know a lot more about the stuff that happened, than the people knew when it was actually happening. I also used newspapers to search for important information like if Vaseline was already available in 1918 Finland)

national archive's online photo archive (to get visuals of locations, clothes, houses and other things, to be able to describe them better)

Wikipedia (especially for looking for right words; I searched for a spesific thing from Finnish Wikipedia, then opened the English article to see the English word for it, and to figure out if the word is what I'm looking for. And then I went to Discord to ask around on writer's channels if the words I was about to pick were actually general knowledge for English speakers)

census data (I've also done genealogy research for my family, so I still have a subscription to some neat archives. These I used to search for names and professions, and to count amount of servants in big houses, etc)

library (I'm sure our local library thinks I'm doing some important historical research :D I read several books about other people's research, and also fiction. But I have kinda ruined the fiction for myself because I can now spot all the mistakes, and also, in one case, when the author described a scene in vivid detail, I could tell exactly which museum archive photo they had used as a reference!)

Whenever I found something I got curious about, all my other research (and writing!) stopped and I started googling more and more information, which sometimes did end up into the story, but more often did not! But I'm the sort of history geek that likes these rabbit holes, so I didn't mind much.

(Unless it felt like I got no new words into the story for weeks!)

[paquita-alpaca]

omg your fic was so good!!

i loved the premise of it and you're such a good writer!!

i'm one of those 3-5 dom!jere believers i guess 😩

i think tutor jere needs to return and receive a skillful bj, just like he deserves

Thank you so much, lovely anon! Comments like this seriously make my day. I’m over here giggling and kicking my feet. 💚

Dom!Jere believers are a rare and powerful breed, and I’m honored to have you here. 😩 And yes, you’re absolutely right, tutor Jere does deserve a skillful bj. He’s earned it.

I’ve actually been considering setting some of my drafts in the Finnish Tutor Jere universe, so stay tuned… more unhinged language lessons might be coming your way!

[dreamtydraw]

i wanna know more about erinna! what's her story like (｀∇´)! and what's something about her that most other characters don't know?

*crack knuckles*

Tw: abusive relationship ,depression and parental neglect

Erinna Alphonse ( full name ) 's parents died when she was a baby and she ended up in the orphanage. She was lucky to get adopted young by a lovely couple who wanted to have a daughter.

All her childhood, she was pampered like a princess. It all was going well until she tuner 6 years old. After years the couple finally managed to have a legitimate child.

A majority of the family didn't consider Erinna as legitimate in the family but it's wasn't too serious because she was young and the subject didn't come back often. With the arrival of a « legitimate » child the question came up again, they had no valid reason to not count her as a family now they did. It’s simple, outside of her grandparents most of them started to simply tolerated her « when will you send her back ? »

Little iris is now the center of the family and takes all of her parent’s attention.That created the syndrome of the King child. You give everything to Iris the younger because we are so proud to have her, after all, she is the little one of the family, we must pamper her. Erinna is old enough, she can understand, right?

Erinna Understood very well that we favorise the youngest, after all, it is a baby and she has no rancor. She loves her little sister, she looks after her, she takes care of her... So why would she hold a grudge against her?

Years pass and her parent enrolled her in multiple private lessons because failing to grant her their presence in her life, they wanted her to do big and great language studies. In some way, it was for them the only reason she was worth getting attention.

For that, she started an international program in middle school with English for history and literature, added Latin optional, Spanish in LV2, and the following years a study of Russian, Japanese, Polish, German, and in the end Finnish, switching constantly when her level isn���t judged good enough to begin with.

Just by reading it, you can feel how much this program looks heavy for a midlescholer and it is. Above it, she takes care of herself since her parents trust her to be big enough to do it alone. They are too busy and they didn't want to waste money on a nanny when Erinna is capable enough to do everything alone.

growing up too early ruins a childhood and at the age of 15, she is already in Burnout.

No time to make friends you have to work, no time to sleep you have to do your dinner, no time to go out you have to clean your house.

As she’s busy, her parents take even less time for her, ut's a pitty excuse as they are the ones overlooking her and then complain. They go on vacation with the youngest one and leave her the keys for her to study at home because exams go first, they go see the family without her because she's not that welcome now that grandpa is gone. They do not celebrate her birthday because it is too close to Christmas and after all, they can just mix the two and that if they remember to wish her a good day.

The problem is, nothing is all bad or all good for her, it’s a gray area in the heart of the girl.

They are neither bad nor good with her, it's neglect. She’s just so tired, the simple idea of opening a book makes her want to cry. she’s tired of it all but doesn’t want to complain because she doesn’t see the injustice. For her, it's just that she’s rubbing herself for nothing and her parents are doing a lot of stuff so she should stop complaining.

During her last High school year, a person who draws her attention, a boy named Ricky.

Ricky is nice to her, he remembers their little discussions, she gets along well with him and it’s a light of comfort in the ocean of her life. He always try to reach out to her, sometimes walked her home. So when he asks her out she happily says yes, she feels loved for the first time in a while.

No one gives her attention, apart from asking for homework, she has no interaction with the people in her class. She is alone, she is tired, but it is the end of her white exams, which means it's the Christmas holidays and soon her birthday. she will turn 18 and she thought that for the occasion her parents would prepare something, after all, Iris got a giant event for her 10 years.

Their answer to her question :

Oh, we thought you wanted to celebrate it with your friends, we won’t here here for the holidays.

She didn't recover from their answer and that’s the last time she’ll talk to her parents face-to-face because she snapped. She can't handle the pressure anymore, she’s heartbroken, tired and upset.

Ricky moved in his appartement and freshly 18, she takes all her belongings and move in with him.

(This part is about mental and physical abuse)

At first, everything was nice, just a little couple living together. Erinna is at the lowest of her depression, she don’t go out, she sleeps all day, she takes little care of herself and simply loose her sense of time.

Ricky who was once a loving boyfriend is more and more controling. At first it felt genuine but it slowly grew on possessiveness and control, she can’t do anything on her own and he makes sure she can’t. At some point he doesn’t bother no more, simply locking her in the appartement.

The relationship grew violent, he got irritated, she got scared and it escalated in the bedroom.

One days where she cries about her life she thinks about it and how she dosent want to live, not like that, not here, not that way.

So she escapes.

She search for one of her blood relative, she finds the manor and that where her story starts.

[noellesnowelle]

Weekly Update

calm week before the storm, resting, Korean study

09.09.-15.09.2024

Studying

preparing for my new Finnish course which starts next week

got my workbook (it actually fits the autumn theme!)

Languages

practiced typing in Korean with TypeRacer

-> my starting characters per minute speed was 24 and now it is at 36 cpm after a little more than a week (for comparison: in my native language it is 286 cpm)

also did the TypeRacer for Finnish and I have a speed of 210 cpm

finished Lesson 2 and 3 of Unit 1 and started Lesson 4 on howtostudykorean.com

Health

managed my diet (nothing with acid) because I ate too much with tomatoes and had a sore mouth

spend almost two days in bed because my period pain was very bad this time and I had zero energy

managed to do gentle yoga everyday, it actually helped with the pain

For myself

changed my Notion design to an autumn theme

kept my to-do list pretty empty to give myself time to rest

spend a lot more time reading (almost finished Crooked Kingdom, it's sooo good)

journaled to ease my anxiety about the new course

this week's

reading/ watching / listening

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

Julien Bam - Das Geheimnis der Zahnfee

Sofia Isella - I can be your mother

Snow Wife - Crazy

[roomchailimited]

Scandinavian Wildlife Expedition: Exploring Sweden and Finland's Natural Wonders

Our journey from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to the breathtaking wilderness of Sweden and Finland was a dream come true for nature enthusiasts like us. The thrill of encountering Nordic wildlife in their natural habitats, coupled with the serene beauty of Scandinavian landscapes, made this expedition truly unforgettable. Planning such an adventure required careful preparation, and Bangladeshi travel agencies like Roomchai Limited, Gozayaan, ShareTrip, and Obokash played a crucial role in making it seamless.

Starting in Stockholm: Gateway to the Wilderness

Our adventure began in Stockholm, a city that beautifully blends modernity with nature. After a few days of exploring its historic sites and vibrant culture, we set our sights on the wilderness of Swedish Lapland. The transition from the urban charm of Stockholm to the untouched beauty of Lapland was nothing short of magical.

The Wild Heart of Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland is a realm of endless forests, clear lakes, and majestic mountains. We embarked on guided tours that led us deep into this wilderness, where we had the privilege of observing reindeer herds and tracking moose. One of the most exhilarating moments was catching sight of a lynx, a rare and elusive predator that epitomizes the untamed spirit of Lapland.

Our stay included an unforgettable visit to a Sami village. The Sami people, with their rich cultural heritage and deep connection to the land, welcomed us warmly. We participated in reindeer sledding, listened to traditional joik songs, and shared stories around a fire beneath the aurora borealis, which painted the night sky with its ethereal glow.

Finnish Lapland: A Continuation of Wilderness and Wonder

Our expedition continued as we crossed into Finnish Lapland. Here, the landscapes were equally stunning, and the opportunities for wildlife observation were abundant. Finnish Lapland is known for its bear watching tours, and we were fortunate to witness these magnificent creatures in their natural environment.

A highlight of our Finnish adventure was exploring Oulanka National Park. This park is a paradise for nature lovers, with its diverse flora and fauna, picturesque rapids, and tranquil forests. We hiked through its scenic trails, encountering bird species like the Siberian jay and marveling at the park’s natural beauty.

Choosing the Right Travel Partner

Organizing such an extensive and detailed safari required the expertise of reliable travel agencies. We found Roomchai Limited to be exceptionally well-suited for our needs. Their personalized approach, from handling visa applications to crafting a detailed itinerary, made our journey smooth and stress-free. Gozayaan, ShareTrip, and Obokash also offered valuable services and packages, but Roomchai’s attention to detail and customer service stood out.

Reflections on Our Journey

Looking back, our Scandinavian wildlife expedition was more than just a travel experience—it was a journey of discovery and connection. The landscapes of Sweden and Finland, with their pristine beauty and rich biodiversity, provided us with countless moments of awe and inspiration.

For travelers from Bangladesh considering a similar adventure, we wholeheartedly recommend exploring the wilds of Sweden and Finland. The support of Roomchai Limited, Gozayaan, ShareTrip, and Obokash will ensure that your journey is as seamless and enjoyable as ours was.

This expedition has reinforced our passion for travel and nature, and we eagerly anticipate our next adventure, wherever it may lead. Until then, we cherish the memories and lessons from our time in the Scandinavian wilderness.

[phobia-sweets]

In this request I will provide different version or versions of the Scarecrow of your choice.

Let's imagine that a Reader from another country is a great connoisseur of what concerns mythology, folklore and scary fairy tales and stories of both their country and some others. At one time it was the subject of their passion, and they remember well everything they once read. The same applies to modern horror stories and Internet folklore. Ah, and the stories once read by the Reader… They can talk about it for a long time and even in some cases try to sort out these stories and understand what exactly makes them frightening.

I'm gonna be honest this was supposed to be written very vaguely so you could place whatever mythology or folklore here but that didn't work out, so i just made it so the reader talks about iku-turso even tho i haven't read Kalevala since like, 4th grade. Finnish mythology is really the only one i'm familair with, and i don't exactly have the energy to research something i'm not even a little bit familiar with :(

General! Scarecrow x reader

Warnings & Notes: It's short, not been proofread and probably fucked up by comparing iku turso to cthulhu

“Wanna listen to me ramble about a gigantic sea monster from the national epic of Finland?” You stumbled into Jonathan’s office, two cups of coffee in hand.

He set his pen on the table, adjusting his glasses. “I’m all ears.” Was that a smile? Whatever, you sat down across from him. “Haven’t had my break yet anyway, might as well take it now.”

“Iku-Turso.” You blurted out, a wide smile plastered on your face. “In Kalevala, the national epic of Finland it was a sort of like a... sea monster or a water spirit. there’s a lot of definitions for it.”

Jonathan hummed, taking a sip of coffee.

“One thing for sure is that according to stories, it’s lived as long as the world has existed.” You continued your ramble, “It’s essentially a large - well, giant, really – creature, that resembles a humanoid with a squid or octopus-like face in most depictions. Think cthulhu, but it’s just laying in the bottom of the ocean because of a promise it made.”

“Are people afraid of it?”

“I mean… I suppose that really depends on who you ask. I’m not. Many people aren’t that familiar with Kalevala aside from the thing that it’s the national epic.” Jonathan gave you a small nod to continue. “But I can see it being scary. Just imagine, at the bottom of the ocean that surrounds you and you live next to, there’s a giant squid monster old as time, just waiting.” You watched as he listened, seemingly concentrated on your tale. “In some versions it’s said to be the reason as to why illnesses exist – it made them.”

“You sure are passionate about this.”

“Of course!” You chimed, beaming at him.

“You know, I can see why. Things like this – old tales and mythology affect their respective places to this day. I remember that one time you told me about – what was it? Nøkken? And how it was used to keep children out of water, make them afraid of a potential monster waiting for them.” You nodded, happy he remembered your previous ‘lesson’.

“Yes! Exactly! Wait, have I ever told you about Tuonela?”

[nei-ning]

I'm having a killer headache since I've been sleeping bad and haven't eat much anything since Sunday. Right after sister left, I pretty much have lost my appetite. Not wanting even chocolate. I don't feel depressed or anything either, tho.

Well, I kicked my ass, dressed up and headed out to the market by foot anyway. I bought some food so that I can survive at least few days, starting to head back. On the bridge I spotted this black&white wild duck swimming on the water, stopping to look at it since I've never seen one before. Soon another duck swam there too, this one being light gray with brown head. I instantly, by intuition, could tell this one was female and dark one was male. I watched them a while before starting to walk again.

At the curve more closer to home, a man was walking this tiny white dog. It looked like Chinese crested dog but with white fur covering whole body. I saw this man coming next to me from the corner of my eye. I turned to look at him to greet him but I noticed his gaze was down between us. The dog was already coming at me with so much joy and excitement! The man instantly hurried to say: "No need to be afraid! Se* / It* is nice dog." (Se* / It* in Finnish are used on any gender)

I said I'm fine and asked could I pet it. He agreed happily but the poor dog was too excited to stay still, ahaha! It just kept jumping against me, looking like it's about to snap and go crazy with joy, ahah! At least she/he sniffed my hand between jumping :'D We spoke a bit, then I said: "Let's go home. We have to eat." And we all started to walk, me letting the man go first with the dog. As the man was leading the dog, he turned to look at me with smile while the dog was still trying to get back to me so hard, saying: "It's like you two have known each other forever!" And I just thought that dogs like me, they do sense my energy and are drawn to me :'D

But as long as I was able to see them, the dog so very often turned to look back at me, trying to get back to me. But other than that, it was well trained! It walked so nicely on the loose leash, mostly looking up at the man. Hah, they made me so happy! I secretly wished all the best for them both in my mind <3

Now I'm FINALLY back home, my feet so damn sore because of my 1 size too big shoes and back covered with sweat. I ate salmon soup and started to dig information about those ducks. Turns out they are Merganser ducks. Next I googled their spiritual meaning and, boy, didn't I find so much info I didn't even read them all! :'D But main points which I found easily (hard to read with a headache still):

Native American: Black and white feathers reflect balance and harmony. Merganser ducks are a symbol of change, adaptability, and psychic ability. They redirecting negative energy. Merganser ducks are critical in dream work, meditation, and spiritual practices. Whether you’re looking to connect with the natural world or explore the depths of yourself, the Merganser duck is a powerful and fascinating symbol of Native American culture that can inspire and guide you on your journey. Eastern / Chinese: These beautiful creatures are often associated with beauty, grace, and prosperity and are said to bring good luck and good fortune to those who encounter them. Its appearance is often interpreted as a sign that something important is about to happen.

Celtic: Merganser duck has been linked to themes of transformation and change. Observing the Merganser duck’s behavior can teach important life lessons, such as adapting to new environments and facing challenges with bravery and resilience.

[peachesgaeass]

Hello to anyone who reads this, I have only just started writing and am quite young, so I was wondering if you could give me some critique or pointers on how I could get better and you thoughts on this. It is my own story and I wrote it for my English assessment, I'm hoping I can someday turn this into a novel.

Layers of love

Hurried footsteps could be heard, growing louder by the second, once they stopped the door to the classroom opened, revealing the source of all the commotion. A lengthy, messy brown-haired girl dressed in baggy, green camo pants and a black, plain oversized hoodie, paired with her black converse.

"Ah!" Said the science teacher, making the girls attempts to sneak in futile. "So glad you could make it Lyra. what is it, your third time this week?" She continued dryly.

"Go sit down." Sighed Ms. Kumin as she gestued to the seat next to a strawberry-blonde girl adorned in gold jewellery and dressed in a frilly, pink chemise paired with ripped, skinny jeans. Both Lyra and the girl physically cringed as she took her seat.

"Now, as i was saying 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 Ms. Lanturn rudely interrupted us, your next chemistry assignment will be done is pairs." Loud murmers erupted from the class.

"Hang on. Before you pick your partners, you should know that 𝘐 will be picking you partners." The whole class sighed with disappointment.

"Yes, yes, I know that you hate me, but calm down."

Ms. Kumin called out the class, pairing up students.

"Lyra Lanturn and Minara Pahres."

the two shot a quick glare in the others direction. Despite neither having shared a conversation, they both hated eachother with a passion. Minara hated her because of the rumours that surrounded Lyra, whereas Lyra hated Minara because she was apart of the popular clique, and she hates those gits as a whole. The two girls sat in silence for the rest of the class, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife.

The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Minara, eager to leave, grabbed her stuff and started to leave the classroom, while Lyra stayed behind, taking her time, being in no rush to get to second period.

……….——_——……….

It was the final class of the day. Minara placed her books down next to a brunette girl, who was gazing out the window ready for class. Once she realised who it was, she made her attempt to move, but was foiled by their strict, language teacher Mrs. Tinpern entering the class, practically screaming at everyone to sit back down.

Lyra was at her wits end. Minara's constant bombardment of questions and confusion on the subject to the teacher made her question why this clueless prissy princess was even in AP Latin, and if the yapping of this pomeranian would be more pleasant with it's lips duck taped together, and with Lyra becoming more irritated as time passed, the thought became more pleasant by the second.

Neither of the girls muttered a word to eachother throughout the lesson, not even trying to hide their distaste for one another.

Minara was now taking notes from the board while Lyra, having already finnished, was looking out the window like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"so... Berry?.." Lyra started hesitantly, still gazing out the window with her head in her hand.

The usually silent, grouchy brunette's words piqued the strawberry-blonde's interest, though mildly offended by the nickname, lifted her head from her notetaking.

"yours or mine?" The brunette asked.

"Huh?" Answered Minara in a slightly shocked, yet irritated voice, not understanding what she meant by that vauge question.

"Whose house are we studying at?!" Lyra specified, with a harsh side eye paired with her signature aggressive tone, mainly because of Minara's tone more than how she didn't understand. She wouldn't expect Berry to understand anything since she's so stupid.

………——_——……….

To call the bus ride to Lyra's place awkward would be a huge understatement, while both girls were sitting in the back they made it their mission to stay as far away from each other as possible, practically plastered to the glass, neither saying a word.

Lyra's home was of standard size. The back yard was littered with balls, bats, shoes and dog toys, along with an old, faded, red and yellow plastic slide.

"Why didn't we go through the front?" Minara asked quietly to no one in particular, afraid that if Lyra would hear her and get offended.

"Because the gate is broken." She spat with venom.

"Oh... okay." Minara swallowed.

"I'm home!" Called the brunette, a smile slowly etching on her tan, freckled face as the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps answered her call. Seven kids all with the same dark, messy brown hair she possesed, burst out of the hallway like a stampede, and tackled her in a hug. Minara couldent help but smile at the joyous family before her. The genuine smile on Lyra's face as she talked to her younger siblings, left the strawberry-blonde feeling nothing but guilt for the way she treated her, for believing the rumours and not actually getting to know the girl herself.

The 'study' session in question consisted less of actual studying and more of constant bickering, mockery, yelling and constant inturuptions by nosey siblings and worried parents.

Over the next couple of weeks Lyra would ask the simple question, 'your's or mine?', it was asked every now and then at first but slowly became more frequent, and tollerable, as time went on. over this period Minara had built a bond with with the Lanturn family. When she would come over, she would help with the cooking and cleaning, or play and carry-on with the kids and dog in the backyard with constant sounds of laughter dancing in the air.

……….——_——………..

Lyra was laying on her bed, looking down at the phone, waiting for Minara to get out of the shower. It was the strawberry-blonde's first sleepover, having strict parents makes that kind of a given, but they were out of town, so Lyra asked her perents if she could stay the night.

Minara entered the room, having finished her shower, her wet hair clinging to her bare neck, droplets of water dripping down the pale features of her face with a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

"The shower's ready." Minara said, making her pressence known, the brunette looked up from her phone, the strawberry-blonde having caught her attention.

"Lye?" She questioned Lyra, who didn't respond, just staring blankly at Minara.

"Lye." She repeated, waving her hand infront of the brunettes face. Snapping the girl out of her trance.

"Yeah?" Lyra asked, jumping slightly at their close proximity.

"I just said the shower's ready." Responded Minara, chuckling at her friends reaction.

"Oh okay." Replied the brunette, slightly flustered as she felt her friends minty breath fan her face.

"Oh! Right, I forgot." Exclaimed Minara.

Lyra looked at the Strawberry-blonde, waiting for her to continue.

"There's a party on friday. Do you... um... want to go with me?

"Sure. I don't see why not." Lyra Shrugged casually, though internally screaming at the thought of going to a party with her.

For the rest of the night they watched movies and snuggled under the sheets.

……….——_——………..

It was finally the night of the party, Lyra was adorned with rings, and dressed in black, cargo pants with a loose AC-DC graphic tee. Minara accessorised with a gold butterfly necklace and earrings to match, and garbed in a pastel pink and yellow, mesh corset top and a matching asymmetrical skirt, both adorned with embroidered vines and flowers.

And just like any other teen house party, it was loud, crowded, and there was no questioning that the punch was spiked with cheap liquor.

The music boomed as people danced, dangerously close and drunk, the beams of light danced and dappled on the smoke of the fog machine. Lyra being a bit tipsy, now on her third drink, went outside and took a sip as she leaned against the wall by the pool, keeping a distance from the rowdy teens. Minara spotted the brunette leaving and approached her, occasionally losing her footing.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” Lyra nonchalantly asked the strawberry-blonde girl.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Minara retorted.

“Don’t feel like it.” Lyra deadpanned.

“Well too bad.” Minara stated, dragging the brunette to the dance floor.

Everything from then on, felt perfect. After a few more drinks, Lyra became more willing to socialise and dance, savouring these joyous moments with Minara.

The two girls swayed to the music, the strawberry-blonde’s arms draped around the taller brunette’s shoulders, who was holding onto her waist, her head resting in the crook of Lyra’s neck. All sounds seemed to drown out, the only thing to be heard was the sound of each others steady breathing and the rise and fall of their chests, in that moment, all they felt was… serenity. Minara lifted her head to look at Lyra, only to find the girl’s eyes already looking at her, with a gentle gaze, full of adoration. Each other’s eyes locked together, in Minara’s semi drunken state, she gave into the impulse, closed her eyes, and placed a soft kiss on the brunette’s lips. Feeling Lyra stiffen, she quickly pulled away, but taken aback moments later when the sensation of Lyra’s lips crashing into hers welcomed her senses. The kiss was filled with passion, slow, but with it you could feel all the emotions she conveyed through it, love, compassion, longing and more. They pulled away from the kiss breathless, meaninglessly gazing into each other’s eyes, goofy smiles on their faces.

Minara grabbed Lyra’s collar and pulled her into another kiss, this one was different, it was rough and full of lust. Lyra’s hand drifted from the strawberry-blonde’s waist to tangle in her hair, deepening the kiss, while the other drifted to her ass, and squeezed it, earning as gasp from the girl and took it as an opportunity to stick her tongue in her mouth. Minara’s hands had found their way into the brunette’s hair, tugging on it, earning a slight groan in return. Lyra moving away from Minara’s lips, biting the girl’s bottom lip in the process, moved down to her neck, kissing down it, then working up until she found the pulse near her jawline, and sucked it, being awarded by a soft, breathy moan coming from the shorter girl’s lips. She grabbed Minara’s hips and tugged them, bringing her closer, and bit down on the joint between her neck and shoulder, causing Minara’s nails to dig into her back mewling at the sensation.

“Fuck.” Lyra muttered under her breath, finding the action really hot, squeezed her ass with both hands in hopes to earn the same reaction. Minara gasped at the her sudden change of demeanour, lust.

“Let’s bring this to my place.” The strawberry-blonde whispered in the brunette’s ear nibbling on her earlobe.

Minara didn’t know what tomorrow will bring, but one thing she knew for certain is that she will love this girl till the day she dies.

[leothil]

I got tagged by the wonderful @like-the-rest-of-la 💖💖

🎶✨️When you get this you have to put 5 songs you actually listen to, publish, then send this ask to 10 of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) ✨️🎶

1. Dancer by Flo Rida My dance instructors played this during one of our lessons and I immediately fell head over heels. The beat is perfect for west coast swing and it's super fun to sing along to! For a bonus, imagine Buck and Eddie dancing to this à la @rewritetheending's dirty dancing au or @hetrez's dance instructor Eddie fic.

2. America by First Aid Kit This is a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's song, but I adore this version. A half-formed SSAA arrangement based on it is swirling around in my brain, and I wish I'll find the energy and motivation to actually put it together some day!

3. We Built This City by Starship I downloaded a custom map for this to Beat Saber, and it might be one of my favourite tracks to play now. It's impossible to sit still and/or not sing along while listening to this!

4. On the Way Down by Ryan Cabrera I thought making a photoset of it would make it stop playing in my head, but no such luck! It's so vibey, and, yes, the buddie vibes are there. The brainrot is terminal.

5. Mä Elän Vieläkin by Pate Mustajärvi feat. Harri Marstio, Jorma Kaariainen and Topi Sorsakoski This is a beautiful cover of Jimmy Webb's Highwayman (made famous by Johnny Cash with the Highwaymen quartet) that never fails to reduce me to tears. The longing, melancholy harmonies stab me right through the heart. It's unusual for me to imprint on a Finnish song, but this one did it. (The lyrics are completely rewritten for the Finnish version - I encourage you to look them up, if you listen to this, even if google translate can be a bit iffy)

Tagging the aforementioned @rewritetheending and @hetrez as well as @onward--upward @dearestdiaz @alyxmastershipper @elvensorceress @annansmith @toboldlynerd @thatsveryood @oneawkwardcookie (sorry if anyone is double tagged, I did not check anything lmao)

[mcrmadness]

Tagged by @theydoctor, thanks!!! ^^

1. Were you named after anyone?

Well, my first name comes from somewhere in the family tree, and the middle name apparently was picked by my dad from an Italian or French opera cos he's a nerd. I haven't changed my name but if I did, I would never name myself after someone else. I want my name to feel like me and not like a random copy of someone else. (This doesn't mean I'd have this opinion on anyone who did name themself after someone else, I personally just don't want to have namesakes nor be associated with people who are my namesakes.)

2. When was the last time you cried?

Does onions count? If so, then 30 minutes ago when I was cooking those on a pan.

3. Do you use sarcasm?

YES. Altho, I often find it difficult to tell my jokes apart from my sarcasm because my humour in general is very dry and dark, and so is my sarcasm. And I often make jokes that sound sarcastic so I really don't know of which one it really is. But have to say that I often am careful with whom I show the sarcastic side because not everyone gets my humour, and I easily manage to make people offended because they don't realize I was just using dry humour.

4. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their aesthetics? Like, the colour scheme and style. I focus on that more than I focus on anything else, solely because I am so visual person I can't help it but notice the visuals as the first thing, especially if I like those visuals (aka the colour scheme).

5. What's your eye colour?

Blue-grey. On a good day you can see random green dots here and there but usually only when it's very bright as the dots are normally hidden behind the irises.

6. Scary movie or happy ending?

Hmmm... I don't like scary movies, so of these two I have to say: happy endings. Otherwise I don't need my movies to always end happily as I also enjoy very bizarre, anti-cliché endings that leave the viewer with more questions than answers. Such as Christopher Nolan's movies which often have a happy, yet "wtf???" type eding.

7. Any special talents?

Maybe cooking and baking? And taking care of plants. Like, I have some natural talent for cooking and baking, as well as a secret green thumb, and it pisses me off so much because NONE OF THESE is a passion of mine! I don't even know wtf I'm doing with my plants but apparently something right since they've still alive and I even got one of them to make flowers and my mom has had its parent plant for decades and it has never made flowers. All I did was just water it so idk what was that. So idk if this is a special talent but it sure is a weird talent. (And other is probably my brain's ability to absorb and memorise information about die ärzte...)

8. Any pets?

Currently I don't have any pets but I love cats (and animals in general) more than anything and want to have cats in the future. Pets are not allowed in my flat, but my parents have 3 so at least my life is not fully cat-free and I might go crazy if it was.

9. What sports do you play/ have played?

None, I hate sports so much it's insane. The only sports I've been even mildly interested in is horse sports, and mainly the harness racing/trotting as I'm actually a horse groom by my profession and specialized in that. Also horseback riding was my hobby when I was a teenager but I quit after I fell for the first time ever (after 6 months) and broke my arm.

10. How tall are you?

156cm, if you don't speak metrics, unfortunately you have to google it if you really find my height that interesting.

11. What was your favourite subject in school?

I used to like arts, but the art education was really bad in junior high. But since I've always loved visual arts (and I'm so annoyed that it is NOT my special talent, fml :DDD), I was usually in my element there anyway. I also liked biology, and I guess Finnish even tho the subject is known as "mother tongue (and literature)" here in Finland. I also really loved the IT lessons as that's what sparked my interest towards video editing when I was 14 or 15. (Windows Movie Maker!!!)

12. Dream job?

My dream job would be to be able to study all kinds of things without ever having to settle down for just one career path. I have so many different interests that I could never combine them all into one, but I also wouldn't want to make my life be all about just one, but I also have no energy for having 5 jobs at the same time. But if money didn't exist and I was more creative what comes to original content, I'd definitely be a comic book artist! From my existing profession I'm a horse groom, and currently I'm studying media and visual expression and I'm very interested in video editing, maybe making music videos, even. But that's just me in this very moment. I'm also interested in everything from linguistics and languages to horse colour genetics.

Not tagging anyone, but feel free to tag yourself if you are reading this and want to answer these questions.

[bigsmallworld]

Nostalgia Advent Calendar: MCR edition

Day 16: The MCR song that sums up your teenage years

Now THAT is all about nostalgia. After all I stopped being a teenager in 2012 so it’s been solid 12 years.

I think my music development changed immensely when I was around 14 or 15 years old. MCR wasn’t necessarily the first one and it would’ve quite shocking from rather happy, easygoing Finnish pop songs to darker rock. Sure there were darker lyrics in Finnish songs but I didn’t really think about the lyrics. It was all about the melody. Until you get angry and frustrated and just in all ways emotional teenager.

But I have to admit I never was very angry teenager. I guess I mentioned it earlier as well? Never hated the world or all people in it. Surely I had issues with my friends and family every now and then but it was always more like some rebellious feelings. I just liked to hang out with my friends, listen to music, try to play some songs in a band (guitar and bass were my instruments). School was cool only because of my friends, music lessons and obsessing over my crushes. The more I grew up the less I wanted to be in there. Yet I was a good girl and never ditched.

For the best MCR song to describe me as a teenager or my life back then is difficult though. I guess I have to abandon all the lyrics cause well they’re deep and dark stuff. So maybe I present the one that I’d say was the one I played the most. And I’m even a little shocked myself when I have to say it wasn’t Welcome to the Black Parade. Even though the music video was (and is) something incredible I didn’t play it over and over. I guess it was a little bit too long and too unique to keep playing over and over. And despite listening The Black Parade in repeat while reading the Twilight saga I guess I still need to pick I’m Not Okay.

At the time I had no idea what it was really about. Just seeing the music video made me think it was something for not the most popular kids at school but first it was about teenage school life for me. And I guess it made me relate cause I never did anything cool or crazy at school (or in general even) but they were different. Not all those perfect beautiful teenagers you see in the movies. But all lyrics I got was the title. I didn’t even fully understood the lines in the music video cause I was lazy to try to even figure out what’s going on. I have no idea how long it took before I actually realised how dark songs MCR has in general lyrically. What I did get out of it was the good, memorable melody and especially the part with English swear word because I wasn’t used to have those in songs. The tempo and vocals’ high volume made it also a good song to shout my feelings while walking somewhere more rural which made it in a way to express my feelings even though they were closer to general ”I hate my parents because they ruin my life” or ”I can’t believe I did this in front of my crush” rather than being bullied. Under the cut some reflections again.

I guess what I thought as being okay was closer to being social outcast in schoo. I was never the popular kid and I guess I had some expectations of the kids who everyone looked up. Like what they do, what they speak about, what they listen to… everything. I was shy, quiet and tried to avoid being in any spotlight. But I wasn’t heavily bullied either. I was very average student and in time even started to let my grades drop because I was done with studying hard. I had pretty much same friends I had had since I was 10 and back then only to actually have the courage to talk with boys online (at the time I barely knew anything about being gay even though afterwards I’ve noticed I had a massive crush on one of my female friends). I had nothing big going on in my life during my secondary school, just living me somewhat happy life and only started to feel anxious when my testos went up and people started to notice and tell that I had a boy’s voice and my friends started to grow apart (though these two things aren’t related). And people who I would’ve liked to keep in my life kind of vanished. Some people moved away and some people I just let go far. At the time I also had a big issue with getting to know my friends’ significant other, I guess it was again me being shy, which made me rather spend my time alone by myself or with online friends or something. And I didn’t actually mind it. I think my parents minded it more, wondering why I suddenly didn’t want to spend time with anyone. I found new friends from new schools so it wasn’t like I was totally alone. But there still is something when you lose the connection with people who you knew and spend time every day for 7 years.

This all makes no sense for the song I picked but hey, it’s my post. And not mentioning teenager me would’ve felt weird. Even though I wasn’t a very good interpreter for the music lyrics I still used music to deal with things. Listening to old or just my fave songs when starting new school where I knew nobody made me feel a little bit more on ease. And I remember even feeling like a total loser when for the first time it wasn’t a musician who I had a celeb crush on but an actor! How scandalous lol.

[tiikerikani]

Somebody from the choir I used to be in asked if I wanted to join her own women's choir thing and at first I was a bit hesitant (because like do I really need any more things in my schedule, and I'm ambivalent about the way she leads practices) but maybe having more stuff in my schedule will make me somehow make better use of my time because I have shit I need to get to? and get to sing stuff that isn't just church music.

Something like half the group isn't even Finnish (her included) so she runs everything in English and I think with a small group (it's like 12 people) you absolutely CANNOT get away with having anybody feel left out so I'm feeling somewhat optimistic about the social aspect too... I bring this up because she's really extroverted and in old choir she was like the international student that everybody just sort of gravitated to including socially (but maybe also because choir geeks/music students have kind of their own culture) and I felt really sidelined.

One singer is a voice teacher and last week she led warmup as a demo, and I was feeling like, ok is this an attempt to sneak formal technique on me, but I think as long as it's a group thing and nobody's being singled out for anything, then I can live with that. She's also offering to give one-on-one coaching before practices.

Afterwards the conductor sent out a group message with the practical details on how to sign up for those individual sessions and how it's a great opportunity they've been trying to set up for a while and it's good for you, and I'm trying really hard not to take it personally because I know it wasn't meant that way (though it felt patronizing either way), since I was very vocal (pun intended) about it being something I'm not interested in because reasons.

It's voluntary and I'm not saying that it wouldn't be beneficial (I think I am pretty okay as long as the warmup routine is good), it's just a thing I won't do even if it means I don't maybe sing as well as the others (I've only met half of them but even the amateurs have been singing/doing music more seriously and purposefully than I have). On the other hand it's such a tiny group and every voice really matters, so I feel bad about it regardless...

but like you've never had people tell you to shut up and stop sharing because "nobody wants to listen to that voice. go take lessons" which solidified my position on "everything I know about singing I learned from choir or experimenting on my own".[1] It's part of my identity that the classical/traditional sound I have is my default and not something I was explicitly taught.[2]

Anyway the group message was also like "when you have good control of your instrument then you can be free to focus on expression" but since when have I ever done it in that order, even on piano[3] ;-) like at practice I always feel kind of weird when they go through phrasing details (especially with very expressive music), because it's largely self-evident to me.

Returning to the bit at the start about filling my schedule, after putting it all into my calendar I'm not really sure whether I will continue after Christmas. It really is a lot (Christmas is a really busy time for choirs though) and the practices aren't on a super-predictable schedule and also I'm sorry Independence Day is a public holiday and I am treating it as a day off. I don't care that there's a Christmas party after practice. (Not to mention that music geek parties have their own set of problems because, let's face it, they are music people and I am not. Yes music is really important to me but it is far from the thing that defines me most.)

__________

[1] I mean sure I actually was pretty shit back then. people are better about not giving unsolicited feedback these days. This is also related to my similar thing about miniature painting and why I don't ask for or want feedback on my artistic things more generally. I do "how do I X", not "how is my X".

[2] People tend to adopt the style of whatever music they heard around them as kids, so for a lot of people it's pop or rock music, and maybe they train into other styles.

[3] Where in addition to technique, it was "learn the piece by memory so you can focus on expression" as well.

[finnishpod101]

⏳😱 Last day to get our exclusive FREE 900 Finnish Words & Phrases in 50 Lessons PDF pack and learn a bit of Finnish over your summer break: https://www.finnishpod101.com/summer-promo/?src=tumblr_infographic_summer_break_promo_080124

[musicarenagh]

Introducing Lara Tahm And Her Latest Single We are thrilled to introduce Lara Tahm, a German music producer and vocalist making waves with her debut single 'Shine,' released on June 21st. Recorded at the University of Helsinki Music Research Laboratory, 'Shine' is a beaming indie-pop track that emerged from the dark winter days in Helsinki, exuding the energy and light of an early summer morning. With shimmering chimes, heartfelt citar, and ethereal background voices, the song captures an optimistic path towards happiness and liberation. Lara, who has a profound connection to both Estonia and Finland, derived her stage name 'Tahm' from the Estonian word for 'soot,' reflecting her inclination to experiment with music and her deep ties to these countries. Currently based in Munich, Lara is not only a talented musician but also a dedicated musicology student. The single 'Shine' has been expertly mixed and mastered by José Diogo Neves, with the artwork captured by Finnish photographer Emma Reijonen. In this exclusive interview, Lara opens up about her inspirations, creative process, and journey in the music industry. From her early years learning the violin to her experiences in the Estonian music scene, Lara's story is one of passion, resilience, and artistic growth. Join us as we delve into the mind of this emerging artist and discover the magic behind her music. Listen to Shine https://open.spotify.com/track/2bxCRBn8Sz3W9krQYeTM2n Follow Lara Tahm on Facebook Soundcloud Youtube Instagram Is there a story behind your stage name? My stage name is Lara Tahm. Tahm is an Estonian word which means „soot“. The surname brings out a mysterious, smoky essence and reflects my urge to experiment with music. At the same time my deep connection with Estonia is vibrant in this word. Where do you find inspiration and describe your creative process. My songs are written quite in the moment. I sit in front of the computer and start writing what comes out of my head without any judgement. Often I start with a synth or loop sound that I particularly like and then go from there. Sometimes there are certain memories which I want to encapsulate into a song. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? As a child I learned to play the violin. It is an instrument which accompanied me for the next ten years. Learning this instrument was for me an introduction to classical music. I grew up with the Eurovision Song Contest and artists like Miley Cyrus, Aly & AJ and Lady Gaga. Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? Conversing with a couple of people from the Estonian music scene like I Wear* Experiment (indierock band), Iiris Vesik (front singer of dream-pop band Night Tapes) and Britt Randma (music manager) influenced and encouraged me to go my path as an artist in the industry. I am forever grateful for these conversations because they opened the doors to a world that was before unimaginable to enter for me. How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I already had a musical background with playing the violin. My musicology studies encouraged an analytical view on music which has been incredibly helpful for learning music production. In Tallinn I received invaluable singing lessons which enabled me to find my own voice in pop music as an artist. What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? In 2014 I saw Florence & The Machine at the Olympia Stadium in Munich. It was a gorgeous experience to witness Florence’s love and glory. To me it was special to see her collaborate with female trumpet players. How would you describe your music? My music is a blend of indie- and electro-pop. Every song tells a different story and is genre-wise different. But in the end the song has been written with the same ink and belongs to me. I like to use harmonies and loop vocal phases as a background melody. Recently, I also started using more the violin in my songs. [caption id="attachment_56110" align="alignnone" width="1333"] My music is a blend of indie- and electro-pop.

Every song tells a different story and is genre-wise different.[/caption] What is your main inspiration? When I work on songs the inspiration I draw from is really different and depends on what the song needs in the moment. Up until today this includes artists like Selah Sue, I Wear* Experiment, Bilderbuch, An-Marlen, Björk and CAIVA. What musician do you admire most and why? At most I admire Night Tapes and Kitty Florentine for their work ethic, the boundless courage to perform live on stage. Iiris and Kitty are both bold women who don’t fear to show themselves on stage. Their stage presence is unforgettable and gripping at the same time. Iiris has this beautiful, ethereal voice which is light like a feather. Kitty Florentine has a fairy-like voice that gets right to my heart and touches me every time I see her live. Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? I am very much evolving as a songwriter and producer with every song. My arrangements are getting more complex and playful since I started 6 years ago. I’ve become more detailed and precise in my productions. Who do you see as your main competitor? I do not see artist or music itself as a competition. Music is a human expression which should be fully celebrated. What are your interests outside of music? Outside of music I like to learn languages. Besides Estonian and Finnish I am currently learning Swedish. If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? My musicology studies enable me to work in the culture sector in general. Working in this field as an event manager, PR specialist or curator would be an alternative besides being a music producer. What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? Recently I had a creators’ bloc where I felt completely stuck with making new music. In these moments I find it best to still create something everyday and be kinder to myself. It takes time to create beauty and sometimes it is better to create slowly and be very patient with yourself. If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? Changing the revenue model of streaming platforms to a fair share: Indie artists should get more revenue than they get right now. A Gema study in 2022 came to the result that the share of the membership is 1,60 Euros for music creators. It’s necessary to see that for each membership music creators receive more money and that songwriters are being paid equally than music producers. https://open.spotify.com/artist/3N1GgDOFN0oZ6Nw9S2IwgK Why did you choose this as the title of this project? ‘Shine’ is the most optimistic song I wrote during the winter in Helsinki. I chose this title to encourage listeners to appreciate their imperfections and their beauty. What are your plans for the coming months? Currently I am working on a song with Estonian music producer Steven Saagpakk and Estonian rapper Taavi Sink for the upcoming Eesti Laul competition which is the Estonian preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Hopefully we’ll get selected as an act. Fingers crossed! What message would you like to give to your fans? I am thankful that you all take the time to listen to my songs. I am excited about the journey and can’t wait to share more music!