Blog entry 14th and 15th of November 2009
Waiting for my Vienna flight…
Heathrow, London
So many people walking by, I love watching them. I’m just sitting here in the middle of Terminal 3 at Heathrow, waiting for my flight to Vienna to start boarding. I left Belfast this morning, along with my mother, and after some delay we were on the way to London. She’s going back home to Oslo, and I’m going on a little Austria tour. Coming home Friday. Heavy weather on Heathrow today, that’s what causing all the delays. I was supposed to be in Vienna by now, wandering around one of my favourite cities in the world! But, it seems Mr. Weather wanted it differently… I will arrive in Vienna around 23:00, and who knows when I will sleep safely in my bed at the hotel. Hopefully not too late!
Today has been quite eventful. I woke up early, and walked over to the Ulster Hall to get room were I could practise a bit before our flight. Suddenly it turns out not a single room in the building is available, and I have to go back to the hotel. Luckily a meeting room in the basement is free, and I start playing loud on my trumpet straight away (without disturbing any of the other guests, yaee!). Then, in the middle of a Clarke exercise (trumpet players will know what I mean…) the fire alarm goes of! Everyone out in the cold weather. False alarm. Back inside. Then it goes of again. People come down to my room; I don’t have to go out. It stops. It goes of again. It stops. It goes of again. Then it stops. A bit disturbing for my practising… Then this nice man, who obviously is some kind of a technician or something, knock on my door and look at the air-condition in the meeting room I’m practising in. And believe it or not, he accuses me of setting of the fire alarm! (the room was absolutely freezing when I got there, and I turned up the heating…) I was of course shocked and told him I was so very sorry, and he was very nice saying it was not a problem at all, I just had to turn of the heating from now on. I told him I would. 2 minutes later some other guys joins this nice, friendly man, they tell me it is absolutely impossible that this is my fault. They look at my trumpets with admiration and we all part as good friends (I hope…).
My mother and I had the nicest taxi driver. I couldn’t quite understand all he was saying, but he had a very good sense of humour (the Northern-Ireland dialect is some times not too easy to understand…).
Heathrow is a very large airport! Huge, and so many people. In the lounge though, it was still and I tried to do some e-mailing, but I just wasn’t in the mood. I almost forgot my cell phone in the lounge! I panicked when I couldn’t find it, but luckily they had it at the front desk.
Vienna, Hotel Ananas (yeah, that is the name of the hotel… Ananas is pineapple in Norwegian)
So, even more action! My luggage never arrived. That’s right, my big, gold, heavy suitcase with all my stuff just didn’t arrive. So what do I do? It was way past 23:00, and after a terribly long day of travelling (it seems so much longer when you arrive at your destination so much later than you had planned), I was so not in the mood for this. I talked to the nice lady at the Austrian desk and explained the situation; I really need this suitcase before the concert the night after. All my clothes are there, my straight mute (I need it for the Shostakovich), my mobile charger (I usually always have this in my handbag, but of course not today..), my everything… Hopefully my luggage will arrive tomorrow with the first flight from London to Vienna! Fingers crossed!
The day after, early in the morning.
So, I slept a little bit. Woke up, and now I have just been on the phone with another nice lady at the Austrian lost baggage service. Not good news though, they have not received any messages about my luggage. So basically no one knows were it is! She is trying her best now to contact both London and Belfast, but maybe it has been sent on the wrong flight, and then who knows were it might be?!? I really hate this…. Well, there is really nothing I can do. It is Sunday, so all the shops are closed… Just my luck.
I have to eat some breakfast now, and then the rehearsal begins at 10. Hopefully the lady from Austrian will soon call me back with some good news!
I will let you know what happens… From now on I will always have an extra toothbrush (I did get one from Austrian, but it was not so good…) and some extra make up with me in my hand luggage. Always.
Tine ;-(
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Waiting for the ferry… And waiting for the plane...
Blog entry 27th and 28th of October 2009
Nordfjordeid, Norway
I am sure you’re dying to know if Laila (my agent) and I made it to St.Petersburg and Novgorod. I am therefore delighted to tell you that we did! After that little incident with Laila not reaching her flight, the rest of our little Russian adventure went w
ithout any major difficulties.
Here you can see the eldest church in Russia, it is situated in Novgorod.
On Tuesday I had a concert in Novgorod, after the concert we were invited to the best restaurant in the little town. It was inside the Kremlin (along with the concert hall) and when we arrived there with Yuri (the artistic leader of the festival, conductor and pianist) it looked like a deserted church. But once we went inside and upstairs there were a lot of people and live singing and dancing! We ate traditional Russian food, and I got ice cre
am, lucky me ☺
Wednesday we went to St.Petersburg. It is a good two hours drive and while Yuri drove the car I drove him nuts with reading in Russian from my “visit St.Petersburg” guide… I don’t remember so much now though, only some words. He understood everything I tried to say, it either means that I actually have some talent for Russian, or he was just trying to be polite… At the evening we went to the Marinsky and watched The Magic Flute, in Russian! My little Russian from the car didn’t help me there… Lovely singers ☺
On the right side you see The Church on Spilled Blood and under you see me in the concert hall at Sheremetev Palace.
Concert in Sheremetev Palace on Thursday. There are so many beautiful buildings and palaces in St.Petersburg, it’s a bit unbelievable, and everything is almost completely authentic from the old days. Friday was practise day and visiting a couple of tourist spots, The Church on Spilled Blood and we went to the Winter palace and Ermitage. Gala concert on Saturday. Played Grieg, it was a wonderful experience. So many great people, so warm and nice and giving. I had a great week in Russia.
Me outside the Winter Palace.
Sunday I went to Trondheim (St.Petersburg – Copenhagen – Oslo – Trondheim) and had en evening rehearsal with the Trondheim Soloists. My mother met me in Oslo and joined me for my evening in Trondheim so that I could change some of the content in my suitcase… Two and a half week and 10 concerts take a lot of different clothes and things, so it was good to be able to change some of it. Then Monday morning, at 7 o clock in the morning (way tooooo early) the bus left my hotel (my mother went home to Oslo) and soon we were on the road to Nordfjordeid. Had the first concert on our tour yesterday, so much fun! Looking forward to the rest.
Stavanger Sola Airport…
My Internet connection has been bad, so I am still writing on this same entry. Now I am sitting at the airport in Stavanger. We just arrived here from Bergen and are going to London, the plane boards in half an hour or so. It is the 28th today; yesterday we had our second concert on the tour in Bergen. At Troldhaugen, Grieg’s home, lovely place. Today the others have a free day in London, while I have some interviews to attend. My CD is being released on the UK on Monday and I am very exited. Tomorrow we have a concert in Cadogan Hall in London, Friday in Canterbury and Saturday in Leeds.
Will be back with a report from the road…
Until next time, be sure to visit the Winter palace and the Ermitage museum if you are in St.Petersburg, to see paintings by Matisse, Monet, Rembrandt and Da Vinci in real life if simply amazing.
Tine ☺
Nordfjordeid, Norway
I am sure you’re dying to know if Laila (my agent) and I made it to St.Petersburg and Novgorod. I am therefore delighted to tell you that we did! After that little incident with Laila not reaching her flight, the rest of our little Russian adventure went w
ithout any major difficulties.Here you can see the eldest church in Russia, it is situated in Novgorod.
On Tuesday I had a concert in Novgorod, after the concert we were invited to the best restaurant in the little town. It was inside the Kremlin (along with the concert hall) and when we arrived there with Yuri (the artistic leader of the festival, conductor and pianist) it looked like a deserted church. But once we went inside and upstairs there were a lot of people and live singing and dancing! We ate traditional Russian food, and I got ice cre
am, lucky me ☺Wednesday we went to St.Petersburg. It is a good two hours drive and while Yuri drove the car I drove him nuts with reading in Russian from my “visit St.Petersburg” guide… I don’t remember so much now though, only some words. He understood everything I tried to say, it either means that I actually have some talent for Russian, or he was just trying to be polite… At the evening we went to the Marinsky and watched The Magic Flute, in Russian! My little Russian from the car didn’t help me there… Lovely singers ☺
On the right side you see The Church on Spilled Blood and under you see me in the concert hall at Sheremetev Palace.
Concert in Sheremetev Palace on Thursday. There are so many beautiful buildings and palaces in St.Petersburg, it’s a bit unbelievable, and everything is almost completely authentic from the old days. Friday was practise day and visiting a couple of tourist spots, The Church on Spilled Blood and we went to the Winter palace and Ermitage. Gala concert on Saturday. Played Grieg, it was a wonderful experience. So many great people, so warm and nice and giving. I had a great week in Russia.
Me outside the Winter Palace.
Sunday I went to Trondheim (St.Petersburg – Copenhagen – Oslo – Trondheim) and had en evening rehearsal with the Trondheim Soloists. My mother met me in Oslo and joined me for my evening in Trondheim so that I could change some of the content in my suitcase… Two and a half week and 10 concerts take a lot of different clothes and things, so it was good to be able to change some of it. Then Monday morning, at 7 o clock in the morning (way tooooo early) the bus left my hotel (my mother went home to Oslo) and soon we were on the road to Nordfjordeid. Had the first concert on our tour yesterday, so much fun! Looking forward to the rest.
Stavanger Sola Airport…
My Internet connection has been bad, so I am still writing on this same entry. Now I am sitting at the airport in Stavanger. We just arrived here from Bergen and are going to London, the plane boards in half an hour or so. It is the 28th today; yesterday we had our second concert on the tour in Bergen. At Troldhaugen, Grieg’s home, lovely place. Today the others have a free day in London, while I have some interviews to attend. My CD is being released on the UK on Monday and I am very exited. Tomorrow we have a concert in Cadogan Hall in London, Friday in Canterbury and Saturday in Leeds.
Will be back with a report from the road…
Until next time, be sure to visit the Winter palace and the Ermitage museum if you are in St.Petersburg, to see paintings by Matisse, Monet, Rembrandt and Da Vinci in real life if simply amazing.
Tine ☺
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Düsseldorf Airport
Blog entry 19th of October 2009
Action already…
So, I’m back again. Never a trip without a little bit of action… My day started okay, and the checkout from the hotel and the drive to the airport was action-free. However, it all started when I arrived at the check-in counter. I was already aware that my luggage was a couple of kilos too heavy, and was of course prepared to pay a little bit extra. Düsseldorf to St.Petersburg via Stockholm, 20 euro per kg, 5 kg = 100 euro!
Security control: Full check of all my hand luggage (trumpet bag, piccolo trumpet case and handbag), some weird check of the surface of my Mac Book, full body visitation… Everything was fine, luckily I am no criminal, and I went to buy myself some breakfast. Then my manager calls me. She was supposed to meet me in Stockholm and we would fly together for St.Petersburg, but it turns out not everything goes as planned. Due to some traffic accident she arrives at Flesland airport (in Bergen, she lives there) too late for check-in of her luggage, and (even though she really tries some heavy arguing) she misses her first flight to Stockholm. Then she finds out there is no way of getting to Stockholm so that she will reach our flight to St.Petersburg. So much for my quiet breakfast… Many phone calls later she has arranged herself a new flight; she will now arrive in St.Petersburg late in the evening (travelling via Oslo and Riga…).
Hopefully we will meet tonight in St. Petersburg ☺
Here are the pictures from the last entry:
In Norway they clearly start Christmas celebrations in some stores way too early. Date: 4th of October!
And last a couple of pictures from the making of my new music video! Yes, my new CD is soon arriving, and now it is official, it is a Christmas album. I had the best tome making the album (with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Elise Båtnes(leader) and Isa Gericke (soprano)), and wow did we have fun making the video! This is a little taste of what’s coming. I will let you know all about it of cour
se.
Action already…
So, I’m back again. Never a trip without a little bit of action… My day started okay, and the checkout from the hotel and the drive to the airport was action-free. However, it all started when I arrived at the check-in counter. I was already aware that my luggage was a couple of kilos too heavy, and was of course prepared to pay a little bit extra. Düsseldorf to St.Petersburg via Stockholm, 20 euro per kg, 5 kg = 100 euro!
Security control: Full check of all my hand luggage (trumpet bag, piccolo trumpet case and handbag), some weird check of the surface of my Mac Book, full body visitation… Everything was fine, luckily I am no criminal, and I went to buy myself some breakfast. Then my manager calls me. She was supposed to meet me in Stockholm and we would fly together for St.Petersburg, but it turns out not everything goes as planned. Due to some traffic accident she arrives at Flesland airport (in Bergen, she lives there) too late for check-in of her luggage, and (even though she really tries some heavy arguing) she misses her first flight to Stockholm. Then she finds out there is no way of getting to Stockholm so that she will reach our flight to St.Petersburg. So much for my quiet breakfast… Many phone calls later she has arranged herself a new flight; she will now arrive in St.Petersburg late in the evening (travelling via Oslo and Riga…).
Hopefully we will meet tonight in St. Petersburg ☺
Here are the pictures from the last entry:
In Norway they clearly start Christmas celebrations in some stores way too early. Date: 4th of October!And last a couple of pictures from the making of my new music video! Yes, my new CD is soon arriving, and now it is official, it is a Christmas album. I had the best tome making the album (with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Elise Båtnes(leader) and Isa Gericke (soprano)), and wow did we have fun making the video! This is a little taste of what’s coming. I will let you know all about it of cour
se.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
The winter is arriving
Blog entry 18th of October 2009
Düsseldorf - Germany
I am sitting at my hotel room in Düsseldorf. The TV is on, Mahler’s 1st symphony with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, while I write to you. I am sorry for all the time that has gone by since my last entry. My intentions has been good all the way, I really wanted to write sooner. But, here I am again.
I practically just got of stage at the Tonhalle here in Düsseldorf, concert with Mendelssohn Kammerorchester Leipzig. Very nice concert, I really enjoyed it. Tomorrow I fly for St.Petersburg, and after a couple of hours on the road I will be in Novgorod. I am on a long tour at the moment, not back home until the 3rd of November; I promise I will write to you on the road.
Some pictures from my last two months ☺
First one from the concert with the Oslo Philharmonic on the 10th of September, I did Birtwistle's Endless Parade (as I told you about in my last entry). It was SO much fun! This was a huge goal for me, and I just simply really h
ad a great time onstage. A real kick!
Then you see me the next day at my friend Frida’s house, making pizza! So nice, that is the differences in my life, and do I love them!
Now, something weird happend to the internet connection and the uploading of pictures... But next time you will see these pictures aswell:
In Norway they clearly start Christmas celebrations in some stores way too early. Date: 4th of October!
And last a couple of pictures from the making of my new music video! Yes, my new CD is soon arriving, and now it is official, it is a Christmas album. I had the best tome making the album (with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Elise Båtnes(leader) and Isa Gericke (soprano)), and wow did we have fun making the video! This is a little taste of what’s coming. I will let you know all about it of course.
So, hopefully you will here from me in a couple of days (with pictures...),
Until then, enjoy life ☺
Tine
Düsseldorf - Germany
I am sitting at my hotel room in Düsseldorf. The TV is on, Mahler’s 1st symphony with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, while I write to you. I am sorry for all the time that has gone by since my last entry. My intentions has been good all the way, I really wanted to write sooner. But, here I am again.
I practically just got of stage at the Tonhalle here in Düsseldorf, concert with Mendelssohn Kammerorchester Leipzig. Very nice concert, I really enjoyed it. Tomorrow I fly for St.Petersburg, and after a couple of hours on the road I will be in Novgorod. I am on a long tour at the moment, not back home until the 3rd of November; I promise I will write to you on the road.
Some pictures from my last two months ☺
First one from the concert with the Oslo Philharmonic on the 10th of September, I did Birtwistle's Endless Parade (as I told you about in my last entry). It was SO much fun! This was a huge goal for me, and I just simply really h
ad a great time onstage. A real kick!Then you see me the next day at my friend Frida’s house, making pizza! So nice, that is the differences in my life, and do I love them!
Now, something weird happend to the internet connection and the uploading of pictures... But next time you will see these pictures aswell:
In Norway they clearly start Christmas celebrations in some stores way too early. Date: 4th of October!
And last a couple of pictures from the making of my new music video! Yes, my new CD is soon arriving, and now it is official, it is a Christmas album. I had the best tome making the album (with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Elise Båtnes(leader) and Isa Gericke (soprano)), and wow did we have fun making the video! This is a little taste of what’s coming. I will let you know all about it of course.
So, hopefully you will here from me in a couple of days (with pictures...),
Until then, enjoy life ☺
Tine
Monday, 31 August 2009
The summer is over
Blog entry 31st of August 2009
In my rehearsing room…
When the wind suddenly gets cold and wet you know that Mr. Autumn is taking over for Mrs. Summer. At least that was what I was told in kindergarten, and I still live after those funny and sweet little rhymes. Looking out of my window makes me grey. The clouds are grey, the rain is grey, the cars are grey, even the people walking by looks a little greyish to me (maybe someone should clean the windows…). It is the very last day of August, and I am enjoying a break and thinking about my summer. The break is only half an hour long,
then my dear little child (my trumpet of course…) and I will start playing again. ☺
I know my writing has not been too often lately, and for that I am truly sorry. Sometimes the days fly by with the speed of a race car, suddenly a month has gone by, concerts have been played, flights have been delayed, friends have invited you for dinner, and you have become a year older. Yes, I am officially 22 years old. I even got a note in the paper, along with some politicians and TV-faces, which was a bit cool. With a picture and everything. Hopefully it will end by the third time I turn 30…
Of course you are all dying to know how my days in Italy were and I am glad to tell you that Ravello was absolutely amazing. Such a beautiful place! I will enclose some pictures!
After Ravello I played a concert in Drøbak, near Oslo, and me and Steffen (my pianist) was amazed at how many people showed up! The church was so full, and still a lot of people never came in. The audience was wonderful and I really enjoyed the concert. The Grieg-songs, Haugtussa, are so fantastic to play, I get to use all my emotions and just truly sing. I think deep down I am a wannabe-singer… After Drøbak was Oslo Grieg-festival, and then I went to Germany with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for a festival called Musikalische Sommer Ost-Friesland. Then there was Oslo Chamber music festival, and back to Germany for Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern. And last I was in a little town near Zurich, Ermatingen, for a recital with Christian Ihle Hadland. Now I have a week of before I play with the Oslo Philharmonic next week. Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Endless Parade, for the ULTIMA festival in Oslo. A contemporary music festival.
Endless Parade is a real challenge for me and I am both very excited and terrified. Or to be correct, I was terrified up until last week. I got a vision, or something, and I suddenly started to just really enjoy myself. I see it as a way of getting out a lot of hidden frustration and screaming. Who wants to spend money on a shrink when you can get it all out through the music!?!?
My half an hour break is over, time to play with my baby again ☺
Until next time, remember to clean your windows, Mr. Autumn is grey enough as he is.
Tine ☺
In my rehearsing room…
When the wind suddenly gets cold and wet you know that Mr. Autumn is taking over for Mrs. Summer. At least that was what I was told in kindergarten, and I still live after those funny and sweet little rhymes. Looking out of my window makes me grey. The clouds are grey, the rain is grey, the cars are grey, even the people walking by looks a little greyish to me (maybe someone should clean the windows…). It is the very last day of August, and I am enjoying a break and thinking about my summer. The break is only half an hour long,
then my dear little child (my trumpet of course…) and I will start playing again. ☺I know my writing has not been too often lately, and for that I am truly sorry. Sometimes the days fly by with the speed of a race car, suddenly a month has gone by, concerts have been played, flights have been delayed, friends have invited you for dinner, and you have become a year older. Yes, I am officially 22 years old. I even got a note in the paper, along with some politicians and TV-faces, which was a bit cool. With a picture and everything. Hopefully it will end by the third time I turn 30…
Of course you are all dying to know how my days in Italy were and I am glad to tell you that Ravello was absolutely amazing. Such a beautiful place! I will enclose some pictures!
After Ravello I played a concert in Drøbak, near Oslo, and me and Steffen (my pianist) was amazed at how many people showed up! The church was so full, and still a lot of people never came in. The audience was wonderful and I really enjoyed the concert. The Grieg-songs, Haugtussa, are so fantastic to play, I get to use all my emotions and just truly sing. I think deep down I am a wannabe-singer… After Drøbak was Oslo Grieg-festival, and then I went to Germany with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for a festival called Musikalische Sommer Ost-Friesland. Then there was Oslo Chamber music festival, and back to Germany for Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern. And last I was in a little town near Zurich, Ermatingen, for a recital with Christian Ihle Hadland. Now I have a week of before I play with the Oslo Philharmonic next week. Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Endless Parade, for the ULTIMA festival in Oslo. A contemporary music festival.
Endless Parade is a real challenge for me and I am both very excited and terrified. Or to be correct, I was terrified up until last week. I got a vision, or something, and I suddenly started to just really enjoy myself. I see it as a way of getting out a lot of hidden frustration and screaming. Who wants to spend money on a shrink when you can get it all out through the music!?!?
My half an hour break is over, time to play with my baby again ☺
Until next time, remember to clean your windows, Mr. Autumn is grey enough as he is.
Tine ☺
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Italy
Blog entry 22nd of July
On my way to Rome
In the air…
My seat is 5D. It is a quite comfortable seat for someone like me, since I am quite short and small. To be honest, everything is quite short and small on this flight. That was the first thought that entered my mind when I came in to the plane: small. Very small indeed.
My pianist, Steffen, is sleeping next to me, looking unnaturally big in the small seat. Luckily I am seated near the aisle, so the claustrophobic feeling doesn’t completely take the hold of me. Flying is, if you think about it, quite crazy. We’re sitting here, around 150 people, thousands of meters up in the air, over the clouds. Sleeping, eating, talking, laughing, reading - acting as if this is the most natural thing in the world. We fly higher than the birds. What if we fall down? Lately, my old fright of flying has been slowly creeping back in to my head, and believe me when I say that this is not good when you are, and have been, on the road around 200 days this year! That is a lot of flying… Lately I have noticed that each time I get a new offer for a concert somewhere, I always think about how long the flight will be… That is scaring me a little…
Today, the captain promised us nice weather and good flying conditions. Unfortunately his words were not exactly true for the first hour. It was actually quite a lot of turbulence, but since the flight crew is so nice and informing, I never got scared. I even started to think that there is no chance of this plane falling down, it is actually totally impossible. The flight attendant spoke on behalf of the captain, telling us that we unfortunately had to fasten our seatbelts because of some turbulence. The captain was very sorry for this and had already asked the once who sit on the ground and conducts all the planes (totally forgot what they are called in English…), to give us another, less bumpy route to Rome. This simple little message from the captain assured me of our safety in a way that I have never experienced before on a plane (not like on my way home from Vietnam, 12 hours on the plane, the captain never said one word, three hours of heavy turbulence in the middle…). This simple message had me thinking that unless the motors falls of or we break a wing or something, there really is zero percent chance of us falling down, these guys actually had everything under control (probably they would have known a safe way to get us down even though the motors fell down or we broke a wing…). I hope that this nice discovery can make this little green monster of afraidness go away as quickly as it came. As long as we don’t fly over huge seas that is…(I can’t help thinking about the air France accident). But hopefully this will also disappear before I go to Washington in December.
Steffen is awake, reading a newspaper. We are on our way to Rome. It takes about three hours by plane from Oslo; I look at my watch and see that we have an hour left. Then it will be 4-5 hours left of our trip before we reach our final destination: Ravello. We are playing a concert there tomorrow at a festival. I’ve heard that this is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on earth; you will get an update on that later! You’ll definitely hear my perfect description of me sitting in the sun with my fresh orange juice and enjoying the amazing view, as you can see my expectations are high…
I don’t have my computer with me, I write this in my little travelling book, and when I come back home I will write it in to my computer and update my blog.
I don’t know if I have told you how great it feels to be able to write a little bit on the road, and know that at least a couple of people will read it. I feel so extremely lucky that I can travel around and play, and when I can share some of my thoughts, experiences and scrabbling with you, it feels better in a strange way. My life is quite special. By special I don’t mean that it is more important or exciting than others, it is just that I am my job. Always. I never have a real vacation (even if I try), because the music is inside of me all the time. Sometimes I wish I could press the pause button, just for a little while, but at the same time I am so grateful for my music, and wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. I call it my music, no matter what I play. Because I have to fell like I own it (together with the composer of course…), if I am to tell you the story and sound sincere. Every single piece is like a story or picture, poem or sentence, shape or colour or feeling that I am describing to you when I play it. At the exact moment that I play it to you it is still mine, but then it becomes yours to keep (if you want it…)
Wow, the thoughts wonders in some very deep directions up here in the clouds… Especially when you just find out that turbulence is actually not dangerous at all.
Take care, and watch out for my description of Ravello in my next entry, be sure to have high expectations.
Until next time,
Tine ☺
On my way to Rome
In the air…
My seat is 5D. It is a quite comfortable seat for someone like me, since I am quite short and small. To be honest, everything is quite short and small on this flight. That was the first thought that entered my mind when I came in to the plane: small. Very small indeed.
My pianist, Steffen, is sleeping next to me, looking unnaturally big in the small seat. Luckily I am seated near the aisle, so the claustrophobic feeling doesn’t completely take the hold of me. Flying is, if you think about it, quite crazy. We’re sitting here, around 150 people, thousands of meters up in the air, over the clouds. Sleeping, eating, talking, laughing, reading - acting as if this is the most natural thing in the world. We fly higher than the birds. What if we fall down? Lately, my old fright of flying has been slowly creeping back in to my head, and believe me when I say that this is not good when you are, and have been, on the road around 200 days this year! That is a lot of flying… Lately I have noticed that each time I get a new offer for a concert somewhere, I always think about how long the flight will be… That is scaring me a little…
Today, the captain promised us nice weather and good flying conditions. Unfortunately his words were not exactly true for the first hour. It was actually quite a lot of turbulence, but since the flight crew is so nice and informing, I never got scared. I even started to think that there is no chance of this plane falling down, it is actually totally impossible. The flight attendant spoke on behalf of the captain, telling us that we unfortunately had to fasten our seatbelts because of some turbulence. The captain was very sorry for this and had already asked the once who sit on the ground and conducts all the planes (totally forgot what they are called in English…), to give us another, less bumpy route to Rome. This simple little message from the captain assured me of our safety in a way that I have never experienced before on a plane (not like on my way home from Vietnam, 12 hours on the plane, the captain never said one word, three hours of heavy turbulence in the middle…). This simple message had me thinking that unless the motors falls of or we break a wing or something, there really is zero percent chance of us falling down, these guys actually had everything under control (probably they would have known a safe way to get us down even though the motors fell down or we broke a wing…). I hope that this nice discovery can make this little green monster of afraidness go away as quickly as it came. As long as we don’t fly over huge seas that is…(I can’t help thinking about the air France accident). But hopefully this will also disappear before I go to Washington in December.
Steffen is awake, reading a newspaper. We are on our way to Rome. It takes about three hours by plane from Oslo; I look at my watch and see that we have an hour left. Then it will be 4-5 hours left of our trip before we reach our final destination: Ravello. We are playing a concert there tomorrow at a festival. I’ve heard that this is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on earth; you will get an update on that later! You’ll definitely hear my perfect description of me sitting in the sun with my fresh orange juice and enjoying the amazing view, as you can see my expectations are high…
I don’t have my computer with me, I write this in my little travelling book, and when I come back home I will write it in to my computer and update my blog.
I don’t know if I have told you how great it feels to be able to write a little bit on the road, and know that at least a couple of people will read it. I feel so extremely lucky that I can travel around and play, and when I can share some of my thoughts, experiences and scrabbling with you, it feels better in a strange way. My life is quite special. By special I don’t mean that it is more important or exciting than others, it is just that I am my job. Always. I never have a real vacation (even if I try), because the music is inside of me all the time. Sometimes I wish I could press the pause button, just for a little while, but at the same time I am so grateful for my music, and wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. I call it my music, no matter what I play. Because I have to fell like I own it (together with the composer of course…), if I am to tell you the story and sound sincere. Every single piece is like a story or picture, poem or sentence, shape or colour or feeling that I am describing to you when I play it. At the exact moment that I play it to you it is still mine, but then it becomes yours to keep (if you want it…)
Wow, the thoughts wonders in some very deep directions up here in the clouds… Especially when you just find out that turbulence is actually not dangerous at all.
Take care, and watch out for my description of Ravello in my next entry, be sure to have high expectations.
Until next time,
Tine ☺
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Germany
Blog entry 17th of July 2009
In the air between Frankfurt and Oslo
I am SO sorry for my lack of blog writing the last months! I really don’t have a particularly good explanation or reason, I promise you it will never happen again!
Anyway, a LOT of things have happened since April (!), and for the few of you who have also checked out my Norwegian blog you probably know some of it. (I actually wrote until May in the other blog… sorry…) So, here follows a short summary of what I have been up to:
• End of April: Great days in London with the Razumovsky (check out video blog at YouTube!). Some small concerts in Norway.
• May: Had a very
good week with the Oslo Philharmonic and Saraste, doing the Shostakovich concerto with Håvard Gimse on the piano. It was also a DVD production ☺ TenThing week! Always having a good time with the other girls (check 
out video blog on YouTube!). Celebrated Norway’s National Day. Lovely weather, really hot in my “bunad” (Norwegian National dress…) I went to some concerts (you can actually see me in the audience sometimes as well! …hehe ☺) Bergen International Festival and Hardanger musikkfest. Lovely week, if not a bit full of concerts and rehearsals, rehearsals and concerts, but that’s work, isn’t it? Hardanger must be one of the most beautiful places on earth! Look at the pictures!
• June: Three exams at school, in one day! Pedagogic first, then Norwegian music history and last my final trumpet exam. Everything went really well, and the concert (final exam) in the evening was a great experience. I had it at a café actually. A concept called “Café de Concert”, really nice, will tell you more about this concept later. That was the final exams of my Bachelor degree. Bachelor, finito, Master Diploma, here I come… ☺ I went to Berlin and played a concert in the Berlin Philharmonie with a chamber orchestra. A lot of meetings and office work this month… And then, recording! I can’t tell you exactly what it was yet, but I can assure you it was the most amazing week! Soon you will know what this mysterious project is…The end of the month I spent in Risør, at the Risør Chamber music festival. I may use the word “amazing” a lot, but this week was extremely amazing. It started with a boat ride with a small ship from Kristiansand to Risør, some of us musicians played concerts aboard. I have never played while the ground is moving before, everything has a first I guess. The week was especially nice because my mother and little sister, Amalie, had rented a house and stayed there with me. The weather was as good as it could get, and the summer feeling was complete. I met many nice people and great musicians and lovely audience. Very special atmosphere. Went home for one day before next trip…
• July: … to Bad Kissingen, and the Kissinger Sommer Festival. Third year in a row I am there, and it is always so nice to be there. Two concerts, both went really well. Already looking forward to next year, then we go there with tenThing. Home for a couple of days, editing my mysterious CD project, then Germany again. I’m going to be in Germany so much this summer I am suspecting to both think and speak fluent German by the end of August… I wish! Last weekend I went to Stuttgart, two concerts with Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra at the Mercedes Center. Playing Haydn among all the amazing cars! (look at the picture, I fell in love with this one...) I really enjoyed it ☺ Then my mother and I had a very loooooong train ride from Stuttgart to Potsdam (I think it was over 7 hours…). Potsdam was such a beautiful little city situated around 25 min (by train) outside of Berlin. We stayed there for rehearsals with Kammerakademie Potsdam and Michael Sanderling. So nice people to work with. Yesterday we went to Wiesbaden (another, not so long this time, train ride) and concert at the Rheingau Festival in the evening. It was outside at a very beautiful place called Kloster Eberbach, and we could not have been luckier with the weather. Lovely surroundings, musicians, conductor, music, audience (even bird singing!), it doesn’t get much better than that.
That was my last months and days in a short (hopefully) summary. Right now I am sitting on the plane from Frankfurt to Oslo, on my way home. I am staying there for some days before I’m back on the road. Italy is my next stop.
As this blog is my blabbing about small funny things that happens, I could tell you about the insect invasion at our hotel room in Stuttgart, the crazy shouting taxi-driver, hearing a bunch of kids singing “Fairytale” at the train from Potsdam to Wiesbaden, Hunting for the mosquitoes lookalike creatures at hour hotel room in Potsdam, walking and walking and walking in Berlin because we choose the wrong station…. There is a lot. But it would be a novel, so I will leave it up to your imagination ☺
Until next time (which will definitely not be this long!), remember to enjoy yourself, things doesn’t get better than you make them…
Tine
In the air between Frankfurt and Oslo
I am SO sorry for my lack of blog writing the last months! I really don’t have a particularly good explanation or reason, I promise you it will never happen again!
Anyway, a LOT of things have happened since April (!), and for the few of you who have also checked out my Norwegian blog you probably know some of it. (I actually wrote until May in the other blog… sorry…) So, here follows a short summary of what I have been up to:
• End of April: Great days in London with the Razumovsky (check out video blog at YouTube!). Some small concerts in Norway.
• May: Had a very
good week with the Oslo Philharmonic and Saraste, doing the Shostakovich concerto with Håvard Gimse on the piano. It was also a DVD production ☺ TenThing week! Always having a good time with the other girls (check 
out video blog on YouTube!). Celebrated Norway’s National Day. Lovely weather, really hot in my “bunad” (Norwegian National dress…) I went to some concerts (you can actually see me in the audience sometimes as well! …hehe ☺) Bergen International Festival and Hardanger musikkfest. Lovely week, if not a bit full of concerts and rehearsals, rehearsals and concerts, but that’s work, isn’t it? Hardanger must be one of the most beautiful places on earth! Look at the pictures!• June: Three exams at school, in one day! Pedagogic first, then Norwegian music history and last my final trumpet exam. Everything went really well, and the concert (final exam) in the evening was a great experience. I had it at a café actually. A concept called “Café de Concert”, really nice, will tell you more about this concept later. That was the final exams of my Bachelor degree. Bachelor, finito, Master Diploma, here I come… ☺ I went to Berlin and played a concert in the Berlin Philharmonie with a chamber orchestra. A lot of meetings and office work this month… And then, recording! I can’t tell you exactly what it was yet, but I can assure you it was the most amazing week! Soon you will know what this mysterious project is…The end of the month I spent in Risør, at the Risør Chamber music festival. I may use the word “amazing” a lot, but this week was extremely amazing. It started with a boat ride with a small ship from Kristiansand to Risør, some of us musicians played concerts aboard. I have never played while the ground is moving before, everything has a first I guess. The week was especially nice because my mother and little sister, Amalie, had rented a house and stayed there with me. The weather was as good as it could get, and the summer feeling was complete. I met many nice people and great musicians and lovely audience. Very special atmosphere. Went home for one day before next trip…
• July: … to Bad Kissingen, and the Kissinger Sommer Festival. Third year in a row I am there, and it is always so nice to be there. Two concerts, both went really well. Already looking forward to next year, then we go there with tenThing. Home for a couple of days, editing my mysterious CD project, then Germany again. I’m going to be in Germany so much this summer I am suspecting to both think and speak fluent German by the end of August… I wish! Last weekend I went to Stuttgart, two concerts with Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra at the Mercedes Center. Playing Haydn among all the amazing cars! (look at the picture, I fell in love with this one...) I really enjoyed it ☺ Then my mother and I had a very loooooong train ride from Stuttgart to Potsdam (I think it was over 7 hours…). Potsdam was such a beautiful little city situated around 25 min (by train) outside of Berlin. We stayed there for rehearsals with Kammerakademie Potsdam and Michael Sanderling. So nice people to work with. Yesterday we went to Wiesbaden (another, not so long this time, train ride) and concert at the Rheingau Festival in the evening. It was outside at a very beautiful place called Kloster Eberbach, and we could not have been luckier with the weather. Lovely surroundings, musicians, conductor, music, audience (even bird singing!), it doesn’t get much better than that.
That was my last months and days in a short (hopefully) summary. Right now I am sitting on the plane from Frankfurt to Oslo, on my way home. I am staying there for some days before I’m back on the road. Italy is my next stop.
As this blog is my blabbing about small funny things that happens, I could tell you about the insect invasion at our hotel room in Stuttgart, the crazy shouting taxi-driver, hearing a bunch of kids singing “Fairytale” at the train from Potsdam to Wiesbaden, Hunting for the mosquitoes lookalike creatures at hour hotel room in Potsdam, walking and walking and walking in Berlin because we choose the wrong station…. There is a lot. But it would be a novel, so I will leave it up to your imagination ☺
Until next time (which will definitely not be this long!), remember to enjoy yourself, things doesn’t get better than you make them…
Tine
Friday, 24 April 2009
Estonia
Blog entry 24th of April 2009
In the air between Tallinn and Oslo
I’m in the air again. The weather is beautiful, so it should be a nice flight. This early flight from Tallinn is not particularly crowdie, as a matter of facts the seats rows around me are quite empty. The more space for me then! ☺ The flight crew are on their way with the food (as I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, food and flying has a weird bond of connection), my mother is sleeping in the inner seat by the window and I am writing. Before that I was reading a book (the title not too sophisticated I’m afraid) and even before that, I woke up too early in Tallinn…
I’ve been in Estonia since Sunday, and played three concerts with Pärnu City Orchestra. The four biggest cities in Estonia are Tallinn, Tartu, Narva and Pärnu (according to our very nice driver!), and I played in three of them (the one I did not play in was Narva). I stayed three nights in Tallinn and two in Pärnu, and drove a lot across the country. It is quite small (with a population of approx 1.8 mill) and very flat. The highest point is around 300 meters, but that’s just nice when you drive a lot, the roads is mostly straight so it gets quite comfortable.
This was my first time in Estonia and I enjoyed it very much. The weather was actually quite nice, the sun was shining most of the day, but I must admit the temperature was a bit on the cold side. Since
I am a Viking (well, at least I am from Norway…) I never panicked, but simply took the winter jacket back on, and then everything was fine ☺ Tallinn is a very beautiful city, especially the old town and luckily our hotel was situated very near that part. Also near the concert hall, so it was very convenient.I liked this banner, can I have it everytime I play a concert?
After the first concert, which was in Tallinn, I was very hungry. I usually get hungry after the concert because my stomach doesn’t want too much food before I go on stage (I’ve heard that’s a normal musicians syndrome…). So my mother and I wandered the streets of Tallinn in search for some quick and easy food. Well, what other than the familiar American chain starting with Mc and ending with Donald’s magically appears in front of us (here comes the part where I should say I only bought some water, but you know better…. Don’t you?). I walk in to the restaurant and see that there is a full row of cheeseburgers behind the counter (just waiting to be eaten by someone), and I start to order from the smiling man. Three cheeseburgers (one for my mother (yes, I have a bad influence on her as well…) and two for myself) and the smiling man answer that I have to wait 2 minutes. Since I can fully see the row of cheeseburgers I kindly ask if those aren’t cheeseburgers? Well, he answers, they are already ordered. Since the row counts 5 cheeseburgers I look eager around to see who could have ordered all these cheeseburgers and are possibly even hungrier then myself? Well, I get my answer when the smiling man takes the 5 cheeseburgers along with two Big Macs and head for the window table. A young couple is sitting alone with two large French fries, one ice cream, one apple pie, two big sodas and now; five cheeseburgers and two Big Mac. I can see that I am not the only one being hungry tonight! End of story; I get my two cheeseburgers and eats them happily on our way back to the hotel.
When I land in Oslo I have exactly five hours before my next flight to Haugesund. That means I can go home and change the suitcase (and do some important things like print out my flight tickets for the flight to Haugesund today and for London on Sunday, remember all the scores, mutes, new concert clothes and so on...), and take the bus back to Gardermoen (Oslo airport). I am going to a festival called the Fartein Valen Festival, named after the composer, in Haugesund. Concert tomorrow night.
I will write soon again! In the mean time, remember not to be to embarrassed next time you secretly by a cheeseburger (or two) at Mc Donald’s…
Best wishes from high above,
Tine
Friday, 10 April 2009
Visiting Köln
Blog entry 9th of April 2009
In the air, between Düsseldorf and Oslo
High up in the air, looking down at Germany, soon Denmark and then Norway. I am on my way hom
e from Köln…My very good friend Frida studies Cello in Köln and this was my first time visiting her. I arrived Monday, and it is Thursday today, so that means I have been there for three nights and almost four days ☺ I’ve had such a wonderful time! We managed to do so many different activities in a very short amount of time… Practising, visiting the Zoo along with Mari and Linnéa, practising, eating, visiting Düsseldorf, practising, see the Kölner Dome, walking over the Rhine, practising, go shopping, take the train and eat at a café near Barbarossa Platz. My flight was from Düsseldorf, only 40 min from Köln Hauptbahnhof. A nice little train ride ☺
My last blog entry was almost a month ago, it has been some hectic times, but now I am enjoying my Easter Holiday. Hopefully I will write more to you when I am of to work again next week. First stop: Sursée, Switzerland.
On Norwegian radio (NRK P2) everyday at 13 and 19 you can hear a new programme called “Kort og Klassisk”. This is a program for young people about classical music, I think this is amazing! Every week I write in a blog called kortogklassisk.blogspot.com , so make sure you check this as well ☺ (it is in Norwegian only…)
Ein bisschen deutsche: Frohe Ostern ☺ (My German is really bad, I have a goal though, to speak it almost fluent some time…)
Until next time,
Tine
PS: I also have my own twitter account, and I try to update it regularly. www.twitter.com/tinetrumpet
In the air, between Düsseldorf and Oslo
High up in the air, looking down at Germany, soon Denmark and then Norway. I am on my way hom
e from Köln…My very good friend Frida studies Cello in Köln and this was my first time visiting her. I arrived Monday, and it is Thursday today, so that means I have been there for three nights and almost four days ☺ I’ve had such a wonderful time! We managed to do so many different activities in a very short amount of time… Practising, visiting the Zoo along with Mari and Linnéa, practising, eating, visiting Düsseldorf, practising, see the Kölner Dome, walking over the Rhine, practising, go shopping, take the train and eat at a café near Barbarossa Platz. My flight was from Düsseldorf, only 40 min from Köln Hauptbahnhof. A nice little train ride ☺My last blog entry was almost a month ago, it has been some hectic times, but now I am enjoying my Easter Holiday. Hopefully I will write more to you when I am of to work again next week. First stop: Sursée, Switzerland.
On Norwegian radio (NRK P2) everyday at 13 and 19 you can hear a new programme called “Kort og Klassisk”. This is a program for young people about classical music, I think this is amazing! Every week I write in a blog called kortogklassisk.blogspot.com , so make sure you check this as well ☺ (it is in Norwegian only…)
Ein bisschen deutsche: Frohe Ostern ☺ (My German is really bad, I have a goal though, to speak it almost fluent some time…)
Until next time,
Tine
PS: I also have my own twitter account, and I try to update it regularly. www.twitter.com/tinetrumpet
Friday, 20 March 2009
Blog Entry 19th of March 2009
Between Gloppen and Bergen
I am on my way from a little place in Norway called Gloppen to Bergen. The occasion? I am on a tour with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. The AMAZING Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Not only are they extremely good, they are also extremely nice, and I am really enjoying myself whether we’re playing or spending time on the road in the bus.
We started this little tour in Oslo on Sunday, continued in Ålesund on Monday, Ullsteinvik on Tuesday, Gloppen yesterday and Bergen today. Our last concert will be in Bærum on Saturday. The program is Haydn trumpet concerto (and a little piazzolla tango called Oblivion as an encore (if the audience wants to of course…), which really is one of my favourite pieces). The conductor and really inspirational leader is Arvid Engegård, and we are having a lot of fun in the concerts. The atmosphere is electric and I am really looking f
orward to tonight.
As I told you I am on the bus, and for those of you who have been travelling a lot on the west coast of Norway you know what I mean when I say that the roads are not exactly straightforward… All the mountains ☺And I don’t want to get sick while I am writing this, so I think I will take a little break and be back when we are more like standing still. Maybe on the ferry?
Here you se me on one of the many ferries. It was quite some wind!
I am back, not exactly on the ferry, but at my hotel room in Bergen. The concert tonight was amazing! It was such a great experience, and I just have to thank everyone I met while signing CDs afterwards. Everyone I met at signing CDs at all the concerts really, one of the greatest things about being me is being able to meet all of you. Thank you ☺
It has been some great five days, with five concerts, bus driving, ferries, hotel rooms (and one suite, I will never forget that huge room (or should I say living room, bed room, 2 bath rooms)!!!), great music, great audience and lovely nature!
Tomorrow we go back to Oslo and then we play the last concert on Saturday.
You will hear from me soon ☺
Tine
Between Gloppen and Bergen
I am on my way from a little place in Norway called Gloppen to Bergen. The occasion? I am on a tour with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. The AMAZING Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Not only are they extremely good, they are also extremely nice, and I am really enjoying myself whether we’re playing or spending time on the road in the bus.
We started this little tour in Oslo on Sunday, continued in Ålesund on Monday, Ullsteinvik on Tuesday, Gloppen yesterday and Bergen today. Our last concert will be in Bærum on Saturday. The program is Haydn trumpet concerto (and a little piazzolla tango called Oblivion as an encore (if the audience wants to of course…), which really is one of my favourite pieces). The conductor and really inspirational leader is Arvid Engegård, and we are having a lot of fun in the concerts. The atmosphere is electric and I am really looking f
orward to tonight.As I told you I am on the bus, and for those of you who have been travelling a lot on the west coast of Norway you know what I mean when I say that the roads are not exactly straightforward… All the mountains ☺And I don’t want to get sick while I am writing this, so I think I will take a little break and be back when we are more like standing still. Maybe on the ferry?
Here you se me on one of the many ferries. It was quite some wind!
I am back, not exactly on the ferry, but at my hotel room in Bergen. The concert tonight was amazing! It was such a great experience, and I just have to thank everyone I met while signing CDs afterwards. Everyone I met at signing CDs at all the concerts really, one of the greatest things about being me is being able to meet all of you. Thank you ☺
It has been some great five days, with five concerts, bus driving, ferries, hotel rooms (and one suite, I will never forget that huge room (or should I say living room, bed room, 2 bath rooms)!!!), great music, great audience and lovely nature!
Tomorrow we go back to Oslo and then we play the last concert on Saturday.
You will hear from me soon ☺
Tine
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Goodbye Hanoi
Blog Entry 2nd of March 2009
Hanoi
I did manage to cross the streets. You just have to walk slowly, and the cars and motorbikes will drive either in front or back of you. Your nerves just has to be in the right place, that’s all…
My stay here in Hanoi has been full of new experiences. Like I told you in my previous blog entry this is a project between Norway and Vietnam, and I must say it has been a joy to be a part of it. Especially to meet all the musicians and the conductor Pierre André Valade, and perform two wonderful concerts together. Haydn always is a joy to play, and the audience here in Hanoi was also very nice ☺
I am at the airport now, in Frankfurt, and there is still three more hours before my flight to Oslo. The flight from Hanoi to Frankfurt was 11 hours and 40 minutes, it is quite some time… I tried to sleep, but I have the feeling this is going to be a long day. The time in Hanoi was 23:45 when our flight left, and after almost 12 hours it is now 8 :00 in Frankfurt. I am so much looking forward to the rest of my day with rehearsing and everything and only three hours sleep this night ☺ Well, in a couple of days I will be alright again.
You will hear more from me in a couple of days time. On Friday I am going to Bergen on a movie premiere, you will of course get a detailed report…
So long,
Tine
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Destination Hanoi
Blog entry 25th of February 2009
Hanoi
I am sitting by the pool at the most wonderful hotel here in Hanoi! The weather is a bit cloudy though (and even raining a bit), so it looks like my tan still will be non-existing by the time I get home… Hopefully the sun will show up tomorrow. It is really hot here, and very humid, so I still get a little bit of summer.
We arrived very late two days ago, and yesterday was a day to rest a bit and explore the hotel. Sofitel Metropol Hanoi is like a small city (very small, more like tiny maybe…) with shops for all you need (if you have a lot of money… Louis Vuitton and Hermés is not completely my style, but wonderful to do window-shopping!). Four restaurants, fitness centre, spa and pool. Amalie has already been out there twice. We have been outside the hotel also (of course...), but there is one tiny problem. It is almost impossible to cross the street! They are driving their cars and motorbikes in their own system, real anarchy. Red light doesn’t mean much, and it feels a bit like Russian rulet. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but it is quite terrifying when you come from a completely different culture when it comes to traffic and driving. Later today we are going to a water-puppet show, so then we have to cross the streets… You will here my report tomorrow… lol ☺
I have my first rehearsal with the orchestra tomorrow; the concerts are Saturday and Sunday. This is a project that’s managed by Transposition, and it is an exchange program between Norway and Vietnam. To let Vietnamese and Norwegian musicians play together, I am very happy to be part of the project. The conductor is French, Pierre André Valued, and I am looking forward to meet both him and the orchestra tomorrow.
My Jasmine-Green tee was just served, so I think I have to say goodbye for now. My tee is waiting, I do want it while it is still hot ☺
Lời chúc tụng, Tine
Hanoi
I am sitting by the pool at the most wonderful hotel here in Hanoi! The weather is a bit cloudy though (and even raining a bit), so it looks like my tan still will be non-existing by the time I get home… Hopefully the sun will show up tomorrow. It is really hot here, and very humid, so I still get a little bit of summer.
We arrived very late two days ago, and yesterday was a day to rest a bit and explore the hotel. Sofitel Metropol Hanoi is like a small city (very small, more like tiny maybe…) with shops for all you need (if you have a lot of money… Louis Vuitton and Hermés is not completely my style, but wonderful to do window-shopping!). Four restaurants, fitness centre, spa and pool. Amalie has already been out there twice. We have been outside the hotel also (of course...), but there is one tiny problem. It is almost impossible to cross the street! They are driving their cars and motorbikes in their own system, real anarchy. Red light doesn’t mean much, and it feels a bit like Russian rulet. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but it is quite terrifying when you come from a completely different culture when it comes to traffic and driving. Later today we are going to a water-puppet show, so then we have to cross the streets… You will here my report tomorrow… lol ☺
" My view from my table at the café on the hotel"
I have my first rehearsal with the orchestra tomorrow; the concerts are Saturday and Sunday. This is a project that’s managed by Transposition, and it is an exchange program between Norway and Vietnam. To let Vietnamese and Norwegian musicians play together, I am very happy to be part of the project. The conductor is French, Pierre André Valued, and I am looking forward to meet both him and the orchestra tomorrow.
My Jasmine-Green tee was just served, so I think I have to say goodbye for now. My tee is waiting, I do want it while it is still hot ☺
Lời chúc tụng, Tine
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Destination Tokyo
Blog entry 23rd of February 2009
Tokyo
I am in Tokyo. We arrived on the 18th but my Internet connection at the hotel has been a bit limited, so therefore I have not gotten a chance to write a blog entry before now.
The flight was comfortable, and the movie and game selection on the plane was nice. Finnair from Oslo to Tokyo via Helsinki. I am on this two-week tour (and a little holiday…) to Asia together with my mum and little sister. I really like having them with
me, it is so nice to experience all of this together with my family. We did have a little incident on the first flight from Oslo to Helsinki though. Our jackets were in the overhead compartments and when we arrived in Helsinki my mother’s coat was completely soaked on one side! It turned out our neighbour had a bottle of water, one of these with sports cap, outside his bag and it was leaking. The compartment was full of water… The coat was almost dry when we arrived in Tokyo (thanks to a lovely stewardess!). But that was really all the drama, and I would say that was quite little.
Tokyo is so full of people! 33 million inhabitants (we are 4.5 million in the whole of Norway!) and the main city centre is huge. Our hotel is located in Musashino, about 15min by train to the nearest part of the centre, Shinjuku. At the left side you see me in Shinjuku and on the right side in Asakusa.
The city is so clean! And most places there are not allowed to smoke on the streets, they have their own small painted squares on the streets were you can smoke. You should have your phone on silent mode and not talk in your phone while you are on the train or the subway, and the line and queue system everywhere is remarkable! I also love the way they greet eachother, with all the bowing and give things with two hands. There is just something with the respect they give and show one another.
The people from the Musashino Cultural Foundation is so nice, especially Mr Wada, and the concert on the 20th were so much fun! It was sold out and such a lovely audience. I played with a great organist, Naomi Matsui, and my first concert in Tokyo was a great experience.
The two last days has been spent as tourists, taking a lot of pictures and trying to see as much of Tokyo as possible.
Tonight we are leaving for Hanoi, so right now I will finish my practising and then do some last packing. It is 30 degrees Celsius in Vietnam, so I think I will try to work a little bit on my tan (which at this moment is non-existing…).
You will hear from me when I arrive in Hanoi!
Sayonara, Tine ☺
Tokyo
I am in Tokyo. We arrived on the 18th but my Internet connection at the hotel has been a bit limited, so therefore I have not gotten a chance to write a blog entry before now.
The flight was comfortable, and the movie and game selection on the plane was nice. Finnair from Oslo to Tokyo via Helsinki. I am on this two-week tour (and a little holiday…) to Asia together with my mum and little sister. I really like having them with
me, it is so nice to experience all of this together with my family. We did have a little incident on the first flight from Oslo to Helsinki though. Our jackets were in the overhead compartments and when we arrived in Helsinki my mother’s coat was completely soaked on one side! It turned out our neighbour had a bottle of water, one of these with sports cap, outside his bag and it was leaking. The compartment was full of water… The coat was almost dry when we arrived in Tokyo (thanks to a lovely stewardess!). But that was really all the drama, and I would say that was quite little.
Tokyo is so full of people! 33 million inhabitants (we are 4.5 million in the whole of Norway!) and the main city centre is huge. Our hotel is located in Musashino, about 15min by train to the nearest part of the centre, Shinjuku. At the left side you see me in Shinjuku and on the right side in Asakusa.
The city is so clean! And most places there are not allowed to smoke on the streets, they have their own small painted squares on the streets were you can smoke. You should have your phone on silent mode and not talk in your phone while you are on the train or the subway, and the line and queue system everywhere is remarkable! I also love the way they greet eachother, with all the bowing and give things with two hands. There is just something with the respect they give and show one another.
The people from the Musashino Cultural Foundation is so nice, especially Mr Wada, and the concert on the 20th were so much fun! It was sold out and such a lovely audience. I played with a great organist, Naomi Matsui, and my first concert in Tokyo was a great experience.
The two last days has been spent as tourists, taking a lot of pictures and trying to see as much of Tokyo as possible.
Tonight we are leaving for Hanoi, so right now I will finish my practising and then do some last packing. It is 30 degrees Celsius in Vietnam, so I think I will try to work a little bit on my tan (which at this moment is non-existing…).
You will hear from me when I arrive in Hanoi!
Sayonara, Tine ☺
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Arendal-Oslo by train
Blog Entry 14th of February 2009
Train is a comfortable way of travelling. Today I am on my way home to Oslo from Arendal. It is so much beautiful nature around me, I really get to refresh my love to the nature here in Norway. It is terribly cold outside, but the sun is shining, and you know how everything gets even more beautiful when it is cold. It is something about those cold degrees that makes the air shine in a special way.
I will not bore you with my romantic nature talk. (I do get like this when I watch and read romantic comedies, and that is the best way to get time to fly by!) Instead I actually have a really dramatic story to tell you.
It has been over a week since I last wrote a blog entry. If I remember right I were in Stavanger, enjoying my great hotel room very much ☺ Since that I have done a lot of things and concerts. I had a project going on with “Stabsmusikken” (the national band of armed forces) with a world premiere. That was a great experience, but here also comes the drama.
On Wednesday, three days ago, I had just arrived in Lillestrøm and was on my way to the dressing rooms backstage. Then the most surprisingly horrible thing happened; I slipped and fell on my way down the stairs. And I fell right on my trumpets! (Yes, this is the place where you should scream!) First I thought everything was going to be okay, but then I checked my C trumpet… The trigger got stuck and the second valve was a bit shaky. One and a half hour to the concert, what do you do?
Well, we tried to call everywhere and everyone to find someone who should fix my trumpet before the concert was supposed to start. But we didn’t have much time so it needed to be a place near Lillestrøm. We drove in to Oslo to fix it, but I had bad luck and my trumpet only got worse… it felt like my little baby was sick and I just wanted to hold her and tell her that she would be okay! Luckily one of the trumpeters in the orchestra had a C trumpet that I could borrow. The same brand and model as mine, but as you know; your own children are always the best. But, I am glad to say that everything turned out well! I got through the concert with my “stand-in” trumpet, and the day after I went to Sarpsborg and Hans Gunnar made my baby good again! He is a real lifesaver ☺
That was all the drama for today. Tomorrow I go to Trondheim and on Tuesday I am leaving for Asia. First stop: Tokyo!
Until next time, be careful when you walk the stairs…
Train is a comfortable way of travelling. Today I am on my way home to Oslo from Arendal. It is so much beautiful nature around me, I really get to refresh my love to the nature here in Norway. It is terribly cold outside, but the sun is shining, and you know how everything gets even more beautiful when it is cold. It is something about those cold degrees that makes the air shine in a special way.
I will not bore you with my romantic nature talk. (I do get like this when I watch and read romantic comedies, and that is the best way to get time to fly by!) Instead I actually have a really dramatic story to tell you.
It has been over a week since I last wrote a blog entry. If I remember right I were in Stavanger, enjoying my great hotel room very much ☺ Since that I have done a lot of things and concerts. I had a project going on with “Stabsmusikken” (the national band of armed forces) with a world premiere. That was a great experience, but here also comes the drama.
On Wednesday, three days ago, I had just arrived in Lillestrøm and was on my way to the dressing rooms backstage. Then the most surprisingly horrible thing happened; I slipped and fell on my way down the stairs. And I fell right on my trumpets! (Yes, this is the place where you should scream!) First I thought everything was going to be okay, but then I checked my C trumpet… The trigger got stuck and the second valve was a bit shaky. One and a half hour to the concert, what do you do?
Well, we tried to call everywhere and everyone to find someone who should fix my trumpet before the concert was supposed to start. But we didn’t have much time so it needed to be a place near Lillestrøm. We drove in to Oslo to fix it, but I had bad luck and my trumpet only got worse… it felt like my little baby was sick and I just wanted to hold her and tell her that she would be okay! Luckily one of the trumpeters in the orchestra had a C trumpet that I could borrow. The same brand and model as mine, but as you know; your own children are always the best. But, I am glad to say that everything turned out well! I got through the concert with my “stand-in” trumpet, and the day after I went to Sarpsborg and Hans Gunnar made my baby good again! He is a real lifesaver ☺
That was all the drama for today. Tomorrow I go to Trondheim and on Tuesday I am leaving for Asia. First stop: Tokyo!
Until next time, be careful when you walk the stairs…
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Stavanger
Blog entry 3rd of February 2009
I have this great hotel room here in Stavanger, it is huge although it’s only supposed to be a single room. I do get kind of a royal feeling, thank you to whoever arranged this. You do know how to make a girl feel welcome!
I arrived here yesterday and played a concert last night together with Stuttgart Chamber orchestra, the same orchestra I played with in Tromsø last week. Great orchestra and great audience. No crazy photographers snatching hundreds of photographs for the local newspaper (seriously, sometimes you would think they believed they where invisible!), and I didn’t fall on my way on to the stage. So all in all it was great experiences.
Sunday was another long visit to Heathrow. First I must tell you that I had a wonderful time in Belfast, and the orchestra and conductor Roy Goodman was so great to work with. It was an all-baroque program, and I think I have completely fallen in love with playing this music. I mean, I have always liked it, but lately I get this amazingly content feeling when I play it. I get all excited about hemiols and small rhythmic patterns and twists, I hope this is a good sign. (But maybe if I start to talk too much about it in this blog, someone should warn me…)
I updated my profile picture, you see me standing outside the city hall in Belfast.
Well, I have to leave you then. I am on my way to rehearse a little bit, I go home to Oslo tonight. (No food on this flight though, SAS do not serve food on domestic flights that are as short as Stavanger-Oslo, and especially not on my Happy-prize ticket). I am working on a new piece, a commission, by Wolfgang Plagge. I am premiering it on Thursday in Oslo. First rehearsal tomorrow, looking forward!
So, until next time…
I have this great hotel room here in Stavanger, it is huge although it’s only supposed to be a single room. I do get kind of a royal feeling, thank you to whoever arranged this. You do know how to make a girl feel welcome!
I arrived here yesterday and played a concert last night together with Stuttgart Chamber orchestra, the same orchestra I played with in Tromsø last week. Great orchestra and great audience. No crazy photographers snatching hundreds of photographs for the local newspaper (seriously, sometimes you would think they believed they where invisible!), and I didn’t fall on my way on to the stage. So all in all it was great experiences.
Sunday was another long visit to Heathrow. First I must tell you that I had a wonderful time in Belfast, and the orchestra and conductor Roy Goodman was so great to work with. It was an all-baroque program, and I think I have completely fallen in love with playing this music. I mean, I have always liked it, but lately I get this amazingly content feeling when I play it. I get all excited about hemiols and small rhythmic patterns and twists, I hope this is a good sign. (But maybe if I start to talk too much about it in this blog, someone should warn me…)
I updated my profile picture, you see me standing outside the city hall in Belfast.
Well, I have to leave you then. I am on my way to rehearse a little bit, I go home to Oslo tonight. (No food on this flight though, SAS do not serve food on domestic flights that are as short as Stavanger-Oslo, and especially not on my Happy-prize ticket). I am working on a new piece, a commission, by Wolfgang Plagge. I am premiering it on Thursday in Oslo. First rehearsal tomorrow, looking forward!
So, until next time…
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Destination Belfast
Blog entry 29th of January 2009
Some people have already asked me when I will write a new blog entry. I am greatly surprised that someone has already discovered this blog, and of course I now want to update as regularly as possible. So, here goes.
I am back at Heathrow, this time terminal 1. I left Tromsø too early this morning (flight departing 6:50) and I am on my way to Belfast. My breakfast was eaten on my flight from Tromsø to Oslo, my early-lunch from Oslo to Heathrow, and who knows, there might be a little bit of eating on the last flight for Belfast. We do that a lot; eat on flights. Sometimes the flight attendants run through the plane and almost throws the little snack at you, along with a cup of coffee or tee, and some minutes later they hurry past you again and tries to throw your food in the trash before you have even eaten it. And then the plane lands. The flight may not have taken much longer time than you use on the bus every morning to work, but you have to eat. Flying and eating is somewhat connected. I wonder who decided that?
Ooo, have to go to the gate, my mother is calling my name. Will write more when I arrive in Belfast.
Hilton Hotel, Belfast:
So here I am. It is a bit late in the evening here now, and I have just practised in a conference room at the hotel. Trumpet is not always so popular with the other guests (especially in this hotel I would imagine, I can practically hear what my neighbours are talking about!), and there is almost always a possibility of finding another room at the hotel to play in. The people at the reception here at the Hilton in Belfast are extremely nice, and I got a room right away where I could play as loud as I wanted! But I must admit I am a bit tired, I always get so sleepy after a long day of travelling.
You will hear from me soon! So stay tuned…
Some people have already asked me when I will write a new blog entry. I am greatly surprised that someone has already discovered this blog, and of course I now want to update as regularly as possible. So, here goes.
I am back at Heathrow, this time terminal 1. I left Tromsø too early this morning (flight departing 6:50) and I am on my way to Belfast. My breakfast was eaten on my flight from Tromsø to Oslo, my early-lunch from Oslo to Heathrow, and who knows, there might be a little bit of eating on the last flight for Belfast. We do that a lot; eat on flights. Sometimes the flight attendants run through the plane and almost throws the little snack at you, along with a cup of coffee or tee, and some minutes later they hurry past you again and tries to throw your food in the trash before you have even eaten it. And then the plane lands. The flight may not have taken much longer time than you use on the bus every morning to work, but you have to eat. Flying and eating is somewhat connected. I wonder who decided that?
Ooo, have to go to the gate, my mother is calling my name. Will write more when I arrive in Belfast.
Hilton Hotel, Belfast:
So here I am. It is a bit late in the evening here now, and I have just practised in a conference room at the hotel. Trumpet is not always so popular with the other guests (especially in this hotel I would imagine, I can practically hear what my neighbours are talking about!), and there is almost always a possibility of finding another room at the hotel to play in. The people at the reception here at the Hilton in Belfast are extremely nice, and I got a room right away where I could play as loud as I wanted! But I must admit I am a bit tired, I always get so sleepy after a long day of travelling.
You will hear from me soon! So stay tuned…
Monday, 19 January 2009
Thoughts on the road: Airports
Blog-Entry, 19th of January 2009
You can observe so many unbelievably different people at an airport. You have the business-type, with his PC-bag and important look on his face. Like “I am on a mission, for work, I am important”. And of course they get really annoyed with the family of four in front of them in the security line. The family of four (mom, dad and two children, the boy pulling the hair of the girl, you get the picture), who are going on a long awaited family vacation. It always starts with arguing and stress through the security check. Shoes, jackets, belts, mums computer, dads blackberry, trying to get everything in the boxes, with a LONG line of business people behind them. All of them checking their watches, breathing heavily and looking extremely bored and stressed at the same time.
You may wonder why I am telling you this. Well, I do spend quite some time at airports. And there is a lot of waiting, so you might as well have some entertainment while you wait. Watching and observing all those different people is actually quite entertaining. You should try it yourself next time you have some spare minutes at an airport.
Heathrow, Terminal 5. I have installed myself with my laptop in a little café called “Prêt a Manger”. I like this place, they have good and easy food. Today it's a sandwich with chicken and avocado, chips (yes I know….), orange juice, sparkling water and carrot cake (yes, yes…). I spent almost the whole day in London, and I am heading back home for Oslo this evening. I have another hour until my flight is departing. And, that is why I am sitting here and writing to you (and a little bit to myself). There is a lot of funny stuff going on in a life as a travelling musician. No day is the same, and you do experience so many different situations, countries, people, food, you name it. I don’t know if you will find it particularly interesting to read about, but I will give you the chance. This is my “Blog on the (trumpet) Road”.
So, how do I spend my time at the airport? First I visit all the incredibly expensive shops. Window-shopping. Looking at all the bags and clothes I would love to by if they where ten percent the price they are. Then I check out the bookstore(s), check outs for books and magazines. There are no way getting time fly by like reading a book. Then I get some food, or at least something to drink (since I left my bottle of water at the security check). And if I still have time left, I rest, I check my laptop, or I just simply watch the people around me. Which was exactly what I was doing when I started to write this blog-entry.
So, now I have to eat my food, and then probably walk a bit around before I head for the gate. Oooh, well, my flight is delayed. I just checked the screen, delayed with 30 min. Well, my plane to London was delayed with 45min (a LOT of snow in Oslo today) so lets hope it's not so much more delays. My flight is landing very late in Oslo as it is. I am already longing for my bed ☺
Until next time, hopefully not too long,
Tine
You can observe so many unbelievably different people at an airport. You have the business-type, with his PC-bag and important look on his face. Like “I am on a mission, for work, I am important”. And of course they get really annoyed with the family of four in front of them in the security line. The family of four (mom, dad and two children, the boy pulling the hair of the girl, you get the picture), who are going on a long awaited family vacation. It always starts with arguing and stress through the security check. Shoes, jackets, belts, mums computer, dads blackberry, trying to get everything in the boxes, with a LONG line of business people behind them. All of them checking their watches, breathing heavily and looking extremely bored and stressed at the same time.
You may wonder why I am telling you this. Well, I do spend quite some time at airports. And there is a lot of waiting, so you might as well have some entertainment while you wait. Watching and observing all those different people is actually quite entertaining. You should try it yourself next time you have some spare minutes at an airport.
Heathrow, Terminal 5. I have installed myself with my laptop in a little café called “Prêt a Manger”. I like this place, they have good and easy food. Today it's a sandwich with chicken and avocado, chips (yes I know….), orange juice, sparkling water and carrot cake (yes, yes…). I spent almost the whole day in London, and I am heading back home for Oslo this evening. I have another hour until my flight is departing. And, that is why I am sitting here and writing to you (and a little bit to myself). There is a lot of funny stuff going on in a life as a travelling musician. No day is the same, and you do experience so many different situations, countries, people, food, you name it. I don’t know if you will find it particularly interesting to read about, but I will give you the chance. This is my “Blog on the (trumpet) Road”.
So, how do I spend my time at the airport? First I visit all the incredibly expensive shops. Window-shopping. Looking at all the bags and clothes I would love to by if they where ten percent the price they are. Then I check out the bookstore(s), check outs for books and magazines. There are no way getting time fly by like reading a book. Then I get some food, or at least something to drink (since I left my bottle of water at the security check). And if I still have time left, I rest, I check my laptop, or I just simply watch the people around me. Which was exactly what I was doing when I started to write this blog-entry.
So, now I have to eat my food, and then probably walk a bit around before I head for the gate. Oooh, well, my flight is delayed. I just checked the screen, delayed with 30 min. Well, my plane to London was delayed with 45min (a LOT of snow in Oslo today) so lets hope it's not so much more delays. My flight is landing very late in Oslo as it is. I am already longing for my bed ☺
Until next time, hopefully not too long,
Tine
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