"Everything started from school. When I was on second grade our music teacher held singing exams after which they told me that I should be put in the music class of a bigger school closer to the city. Back then my parents did not have any idea that those even existed, and they also were pondering if they could separate me from my twin by putting me to a different school. After everything, however, I continued in the music class throughout my entire time in school which I would say was one of the most influential things that ever happened to me, and I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to study and make music from a very young age."
"During the last year of high school I thought I would definitely apply to study music after I graduate. However, as the application time drew closer I started having feelings of doubt and like I was inferior against other applicants. I also thought "what if I want to do something else?". Nevertheless, I knew I would like to move and study in Helsinki which, at the end of the day, did happen."
"While I was studying political science I still kept up music as a hobby. I joined a choir in which most of the other members were either studying music or professional musicians. Besides that a lot of my friends were involved in the music industry somehow. After a couple of years the realisation that I have been lying to myself hit me and it felt like I had abandoned music."
"I decided to do something about it and finally apply to study music. This decision and especially telling about it to my education-oriented parents made me extremely nervous, but everything worked out in the end. My parents told me that I have been successful in everything that I do so why would I not be successful in the career path I have chosen, that I am very passionate about. During my studies I found fascination in songwriting which has lead me to exciting projects - personal and for other artists, as well."
"Songwriting, to me, feels like and exciting game or a problem I am trying to solve. I love the beginning of the process in which I just throw ideas about a song. I feel like I go into some kind of euphoric state and it feels very exciting! Sometimes it starts from coming up with a good title or a single line to a song. When writing a song for other artists this process is usually done in groups where multiple people help building a song which also makes it a lot faster than if I was writing it for myself."
"When writing a song for myself it is important to really examine my own story and feelings, and look into different narratives. To help this process I write a diary which I try to keep as unfiltered and free as possible; it really helps with my thought flow. Keeping the writing very casual has also helped me with feelings of self-criticism as I don't even try to write fancy texts that would be publishable as is. They are texts for me to go back to and see if I can work on them somehow. It is not enough, however, to just write about how I feel but I need to go even deeper and find ways to express these feelings with words. Sometimes if I feel stuck with songwriting I go and live my life for a while and then come back to it; it's like gathering material for songs organically. "
"Knowing how competitive and brutal the music business is, and having seen that myself, it brings different types of pressures such as comparing yourself to others, job opportunities and how to get them, and feelings of having to prove yourself somehow. I always try to channel my thoughts into thinking that creative industries are like being on a race track; there might be other people in front of you, but there are some behind you too, and in the end you are moving forward towards the goal. I already have done a lot of things and I believe there will be great things waiting for me in the future."
"I want to build my own career on a sustainable basis. Though, sometimes my calendar looks like I have entered some sort of a hustling culture, but I am trying my best to find the right balance. Sometimes it is just hard to say no to projects as you fear that it will affect the amount of opportunities you'll get in the future. My dream is that my job would consist of three different aspects: my own artistry, writing songs for other artists, and an a capella group project Flok which we have been working on for the past couple of years."
"I have finally found my own genre and the right people to make and produce my music with me. It is something I struggled with for years and I have gone through so much trial and error that has finally led me to this point. I dream of performing on big stages, and making successful charting songs one day - if others can do it, why not me too? I could not be happier that I did listen to myself and chose this path cause this really is what I want to do."
