Finlandia University Sibelius Academy Music Festival

Finlandia University and Finland’s music academy is hosting the 10th Annual Sibelius Academy Music Festival July 30 through August 1. Five students from the Sibelius Academy of Helsinki, Finland are performing at this year’s festival. Sibelius Academy, founded in 1882, is named after the nineteenth century Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, who was both a student and a professor at the Academy. Sibelius Academy is the only university of music in Finland, and the largest in Scandinavia.
“Sibelius Academy is a prestigious music school and is the biggest in Europe,” said Finlandia University Executive Director of communications and marketing Karen Johnson. “The best and brightest of Finland and worldwide go there. The Academy has a wonderful reputation.”
Finlandia University and the Sibelius Academy have collaborated since 1999 in bringing the Academy's musicians to the Upper Penninsula for contemporary and traditional Finnish classical music enjoyment. More than fifty Sibelius students have performed at the Finlandia’s festival.
“The purpose (of the festival) is to develop our relations and ties with Finland and also to present the Copper Country with the talented musicians,” Johnson said. “They studied music since they were toddlers. They are high quality, world class musicians. This is a cultural event that will interest the people that live up here.”
This year’s Sibelius musicians are mezzo-soprano Melis Jaatinen, pianist Maija Vaisanen, pianist Joonas Ahonen, clarinetist Kaisa Koivula, and accordionist Jukka Ojala.
Jaatinen is from Vantaa, Finland and has studied voice and musicology at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and now studies voice at the Sibelius Academy.
Vaisanen is from Oulu, Finland and began playing the piano at age six. Since 2002, she has been studying at the Sibelius Academy and in Berlin.
According to a written statement from Johnson, Jaatinen and Vaisanen want to include Nordic, French, and German songs in their program because Jaatinen lives in Norway and Vaisanen lived in Germany. Both women will perform selections by composers Robert Schumann, Leevi Madetoja, Maurice Ravel, and Edvard Greig.
Ahonen is from Kerava, Finland and he began playing the piano at age five and he has been studying at the Sibelius Academy and at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. In Johnson’s written statement, Ahonen writes that his performance’s compositions at this year’s festival are by the most famous composers of Finland and the United States, Jean Sibelius and Charles Ives. Ahonen said that both composers represnt something very special for him.
Koivula is preparing for her diploma at the Sibelius Academy and has been studying and performing in Italy, France, and the U.S. Koivula also teaches clarinet lessons.
Ojala has been studying at Sibelius since 2000, and began accordion lessons at the age of seven in Kouvola, Finland.
According to Johnson’s statement, Koivula and Ojala said that a clarinet and accordion duet is not very common in classical music, but it is common for folk musicians. Koivula’s and Ojala’s performances for the Sibelius Festival are by traditional composers Tchaikovsky and Schumann, and contemporary composers Hakola, Francaix, Piazzolla, and more.
“This year is different because prior to Wednesday’s and Thursday’s headliners, local musicians will be performing at 6:45 p.m., and there will be a public reception on Saturday,” Johnson said. “We are also hosting a series of three seminars that will involve Sibelius students and Finlandia students to discuss careers in life and their future.”
Johnson is a fan of the festival’s music selection and style, and she encourages all ages to attend the festival.
“Classical music is viewed as old person kind of music, but it is wonderful music. I come back from rock and roll background and I’m looking forward to it. I think it is incredible. The music is beyond anything you’ve heard before. Younger ages need to experience something new and different. I promise they won’t be disappointed,” Johnson said.

Beast in the Field

If you closed your eyes someone said “beast in the field,” what would you see? Maybe a grotesque creature shooting steam out of its nostrils and ears, lurking in a haunting field. Or maybe you’d see two hairy guys in an open field playing death metal on a guitar and drum set.
There are a number of images that may come to a persons mind, the point is to allow the mind to wander.
In this case, Beast in the Field is a two-piece instrumental metal band comprised of drummer Jamie Jahr and guitarist Jordan Pries, both from Lower Michigan. The duo will perform Wednesday at the Level 2 Skatepark.
Jahr and Pries answered questions together about their unique band. They agree there really is not a definite meaning behind their band’s name.
“To quote Will Ferrell, ‘Nobody knows, but it’s provocative,’” they said. “Just let your imagination run wild... One’s imagination is more powerful than any given explanation.”
Beast in the Field may be slightly scary but they are constantly engaging. The pair are excited about returning to the Houghton area. The band said they’ve had a solid relationship with the skatepark for many years. They said they are amazed by the park’s hospitality.
“Houghton has always been one of our favorite places to play. Everyone is always so social and interested in any and all of the bands that play there,” they said.
“King (concert promoter Jeff Frenette), along with everyone else at the Skatepark, have never been anything but terrific. We always enjoy returning to Level 2,” the band said.
Beast in the Field has been bursting ear drums of fans since March, 2007, and their goal is to burst even more. They released their first record, “Goat Isle Seance,” in October, 2007, and they finished recording their new record, “Lechuguilla,” planned to be released later this summer. Beast in the Field did not wake up one day and all of a sudden were phenomenal musicians; it took hard work to get where they are today.
“Practice, take things slow, give your whole heart, it doesn't happen over night,” they said.
Wednesday’s show will also include Milwaukee band Northless and local bands Spare the Rod and Black Jesus Constant. Beast in the Field has known Spare the Rod vocalist Anders Gundersen for about four years. Gundersen invited the band to his home after a skatepark show to “clean up and eat real food,” Beast in the Field said.
Beast in the Field encourages people to come hang out on Wednesday. Jahr and Pries said they will be around before, after and everything in between.
Doors will open at 7 p.m. with music starting at 8 p.m.

Squeaky Clean Cretins

Squeaky Clean Cretins is the Allouez acoustic rock folk band who’s name is difficult to pronounce by most.
“We liked it (the band’s name) because people had a hard time pronouncing it, and that’s great for us,” said guitarist and vocalist Graham Parsons. “I like how it sounds. I like the way it looks on paper. The name is kind of an oxymoron because cretin by definition is a human being that is dispictible, a low life form. So we have that low life form be squeaking clean. It’s like the innocent criminals.”
The six piece band is guitarists and vocalists Parsons and John Artibee, bassist Kieth Kinnear, drummer Greg Wright, keyboardist Mark McEvers, and percussionist Derek Touriniemi. Squeaky Clean Cretins will be the last act to perform at this Sunday’s Thimbleberry JAM Fest.
“Keweenaw Krayons have been so good to us,” Parsons said. “They are responsible for my whole music career. (Keweenaw Krayons) has provided practice space, and provided me a job when I didn’t have a job. I owe them a lot.”
Squeaky Clean Cretins are proud to be tell their fans that they are from the Upper Peninsula. They tour close to home and support other Upper Peninsula bands.
“I think the Copper Country needs to know that we’re never going to forget where we came from,” Parsons said. “Wherever we go we will say this is home. The lives that we’ve had here has shaped our music, and has shaped our outlook on life and our personalities.”
Parson said that his vision as a musician is to be able to make a living playing in Squeaky Clean Cretins because “there is nothing else I’d rather do.”
Last October Squeaky Clean Cretins released their debut record, Of Flesh... Of Marrow. Parsons said that so far the record’s responses from fans has been good.
“It’s been overwhelming positive, people can’t say more than good things about it. It’s been encouraging just to see the positive response,” Parsons said.
He said the record’s theme has common threads of uncertainty, life’s unanswered questions, and political themes.
“The record is a collection of songs that at we have been playing for a couple years that we are proud of,” Parsons said.
Parsons said that when he plays live, he gets lost in his music high and everyone around him disappears.
“(When playing) the person you’re with now is not there when I’m performing. Something strange happens, and that’s apart of the allure,” Parsons said. “I just start disappearing... I just get completely lost in what we’re doing.”
Squeaky Clean Cretins has played at various Upper Peninsula festivals and venues. Parson said that he loves playing at the Calumet Theater the most.
“There is something about the feel in there. It feels good,” Parsons said.
In November they will be playing a show at the Rosza. Parsons said that the band is looking forward to playing there, but it doesn’t always matter what sort of venue they play in.
“It doesn’t matter where we play, as long as we’re playing for someone new,” Parsons said.
Before the guys perform live Parsons livens them up.
“Joe and I are big into hugs, we like being close to each other before we play and tell one another it’s going to be good. Then after that I say something goofy any off beat before we start playing to throw everyone off,” Parsons said.
Parsons revealed that they will be going back into the studio in August to begin recording their new album.
“We got a lot of songs that need to breathe,” Parsons said.
Fans of Squeaky Clean Cretins can expect to see the guys on their Wisconsin tour later this month.

The Story Changes tours to Houghton

Vocalist and guitarist Mark McMillion, vocalist and bassist Kyle Sando, and drummer Poppy are the Dayton, OH band, the Story Changes. Alternative Press Magazine has gave them a three out of five stars rating and has declared them a well recorded band and that their second full length album, Way of the Dinosaur “is enjoyable.”
This Saturday evening, the Story Changes will be playing a show with Houghton bands, Deadly Waters, and Avert, at the Level 2 Skatepark.
“We've played the area several times in the past and have always had a great time,” McMillion said. “We're currently starting up the second half of six weeks of summer touring through the states. Houghton was definitely on the list of places we wanted to return to and we contacted the park with a couple of dates to chose from. Jeff and everyone at Level 2 Skatepark have been really good to us for quite a while and have always been great to work with.”
The Story Changes have been playing together since 2003 and has had played alongside bands such as Motion City Soundtrack, Hawthorne Heights, Roses are Red and many more. Also, they played dates on the Van’s Warped Tour in 2004 and 2006, and currently is competing for Midwestern dates for this summer’s Warped Tour.
“We've made friends with a lot of talented bands over the years that have helped us out when they can. All of them worked hard to get where they are, so they understand how tough it is,” McMillion said.
The Story Changes believes that they are lucky for the fans and friends that they have made through music. McMillion explains that the band’s goal is for the three of them to have fun playing together for as many new people as possible. McMillion said that the key to their band’s success is touring a lot.
“We've averaged just under 200 shows a year for the past three I believe. We're at a comfortable level right now and we get by,” he said.
Fans of the Story Changes can expect a mixed set of songs from both of their records at Saturday’s performance. After their show, the band will be hanging out to meet everyone.
“Houghton is one of our favorite stops and we promise you it will be a good time,” McMillion said.