Translated by Tessa Lande. Revised by Anni Jowett.
Musical Summer School
in the School’s Music Facilities
"Everyone has a talent," Alexander Rybak said to the young musicians when he visited the Summer School on Thursday, July 4th. "If your talent is music, cultivate it and practice every day on your instrument. Practice makes perfect if you practice the right way! "
This week, 37 young pianists, strings, singers and drummers from all across the country gathered in the music facilities of Ringerike high school. The young talents find motivation and joy in spending part of their summer to become better musicians. Music teachers and performing musicians like Jørgen Tangen Bendiksen, Anders Langset, Erik Smith, Ingvild Hasund, Alexander Rybak and the father of the music school, Jørn Atle Støa are instructors. The goal is a concert on the last day of the course, where friends and family are invited as the audience. Continue reading Article about Alexander Rybak and the Hønefoss Summer Music School. 04.07.13→
Article published at www.varingen.no on 17.11.2012. Link to original article here
Written by: Cecilie Lind Hånes. Photo: Cecilie Lind Hånes.
Found by Ulli Cologne. Translated by Hildebjørg Ha. English revision by Anni Jowett
A Fairytale: “Slattum Bulls” were so pleased with the fact, that Alexander Rybak came to their elementary school Thursday night, that they made him an honorary member of “Slattum Bulls” after the concert.
A star meeting at the end of the course
It’s probably few other 6th graders who have had the pleasure of performing with Alexander Rybak at their own end of course Christmas party!
Outside the gymnasium at Slattum school the torches are lit. The hallway inside is packed – of pupils, teachers, parents, siblings and grandparents, who are eagerly waiting for the doors to the auditorium to open.
Behind the doors Alexander Rybak is sitting, eating gingerbread in the middle of a group of autograph- hungry sixth graders. Some will have a signature on their violin, others will have an autograph on their t-shirt.
It’s only minutes left until six o’clock and Slattum Bulls with Berit Cardas in the lead, let the parents in.
Articles were published in the paper issue of Valdres 26.06.12
Written by Anne Kjønniksen
Found and translated by Tessa Lande. English revision by Anni Jowett
Brilliant: The violinist Alexander Rybak, cellist Aage Kvalbein (sitting behind there) and pianist Gunnar Flaggstad played the most beautiful classical pearls on Sunday.
Tremendous Rybak
Valdres SommerSymfoni has started with almost 250 children and young people who play and practise from early morning to late at night. A large number of people also have had some great concerts experiences, like the one at Låvin in Vaset on Sunday, where the violinist Alexander Rybak, cellist Aage Kvalbein and pianist Gunnar Flagstad captivated a full house.
Private lessons: Sigurd Fosheim from Røn in Valdres has Alexander Rybak as a private teacher during the “Sommersymfoni”.
The “Sommersymfoni” has started
Children and young people from different nations are gathered. There is playing and practising in all the nooks and crannies at Valdres Folkehøyskole. The 19th “Sommersymfoni” has started.
Leira: We have taken a short trip to Valderes Folkehøskole, to check the pulse of this massive summer school that brings together nearly 250 children and young people from many different nations.
Lesson with Rybak
First we get a tip that Sigurd Fosheim from Valdres, who has played the violin for eight years, this time has got Alexander Rybak as a teacher. We knock gently on the door and are allowed to take a little snap shot, before they ask us nicely to leave. They have only half an hour, and the time is costly.
Afterwards Sigurd tells that it was fun and inspiring to have Rybak as a teacher.
Found by Ulli Cologne. Translation by Marianne Saietz
Rybak in Halden
Maria, Rosamund and the strings of the culture-school took part in both workshop and concert, arranged by Halden Culture-school. Principal Kirsti Andersen says: ” If it had not been for Sarpsborg and Maria, who had prepared very well, it had not become the sucess, it did “.
Article published in paper-edition of Halden Arbeiderblad 7.5.2012.
Written by Steinar Øystad. Photos by Cathrine Gjerdingen Larsen
Found by Tessa La. Translation by Laila Solum Hansen. English revision by Anni Jowett.
Photo: The smiles and enthusiasm were never far away during the practicing
Inspiring and thorough
Before the concert at Brygga Kulturhus, there was a musical workshop by Alexander Rybak with the concert participants at Halden Cultural School.The workshop started Friday, and Rybak was so happy with the first impression that he sent more notes to the leader of the Cultural School, Kirsti Andersen during that night.
Prior to the workshop with Rybak that started on Saturday, the different groups had their own rehearsals where special parts of the songs were worked through. Under the direction of Maria Dahle from the Cultural School in Sarpsborg and Kirsti Andersen, the pupils went to the task with pleasure, and the different passages in the songs sounded better and better with each play.
The event of the year.
-“This is clearly the event of the year for the cultural school”, Andersen said. -“We are cooperating with the cultural schools in Sarpsborg, Moss and Fredrikstad, and we have 38 strings playing. In addition Rybak has his band there. The repertoire is in a higher level than the students meet daily, so this is a challenge for everyoneone, but this is the way to improve”.
Article published in paper-issue of Halden Arbeiderblad, 7.5.1012
Written by Steinar Øystad. Photos by Cathrine Gjerdingen Larsen
Found by Tessa Lande . Translation by Laila Solum Hansen. English revision by Anni Jowett
Photo: Alexander Rybak sparkled and charmed young and old at Brygga Kultursal
Young strings in a great concert with Rybak
The fact that the cooperation between the cultural schools and established artists produces results, was proved to the audience during the concert with Rybak on Sunday.
The excitement ruled amongst parents, other family members and the rest of the audience in an almost packed concert hall, before the young strings from the cultural schools in Halden, Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg and Moss were going to show what they had achieved during the weekend’s musical workshop with Alexander Rybak.
The world’s best gang.
Seriously the young strings lined up before Rybak came on stage to full applause, and ‘Europe’s Skies’ filled the room.
Rybak encouraged the others with smiles and shouts, and the audience participated with rhythmic clapping.
“We have become the world’s best gang, and have had great fun” Rybak exclaimed after the opening number.
“The organizers have been just fantastic, we even had time for dinner together.”
Feeling for the music
“The most important is not to play all the notes clear and correct,” he continued.
“The most important is to get the right feeling for the music” he added before the waltz ‘First kiss’ by Mats Paulson, well backed by the ensemble, spread in three-fourth beat over the audience.
Text to featured picture: Tomorrow Alexander Rybak plays concert with 70 young musicians in the Kongresshall. He is very happy with that.
It is not a project, but a dream coming true when Alexander Rybak, this weekend, leads 70 musicians forward to a concert.
Source: www.ranablad.no . Text and photo by Hedda Hiller Elvestad. Found by Marit Olavsdatter. Translation by Marianne Saietz. Norwegian/English revision by TessaLa.
Text to photo: Alexander Rybak gives Johannes Ek-Stenmo tips about how to play the violin. Photo: Photo: Geir Hansen
Published in Moss-avis.no 22.4.2010 Link to original article: Click here Tekst: Torgeir Snilsberg. Foto Geir Hansen Translation by Marianne S. English and article revision by Annijo
16 young local string players welcomed Alexander Rybak with the well-known “Fairytale” in Moss Art Gallery yesterday afternoon.
-You are so good! Complimented last years ESC-winner, who in return played together with and gave advice to the children, even though not all the advice was educationally “correct”! – Do you practice every day? That is a lot more than I do. When I was little I practiced 2-3 hours every day. Now, I don’t practice at all, smiled the popular guest.
– When the tutors are so playful as they are here at Juniorstrings, it is nice to come visit. Some places I visit have a bit to high ambition, and the tutors are not focused on having fun. But here it seems they manage to combine it nicely. It should feel like they are having fun when such small children are playing an instrument, Rybak said after playing, answering questions and autograph signing. – Progress and results should come as a bonus? – Yes, I think so. For my part, there was too much ambition while I was growing up.
SMS and email
Ola Ek-Stenmo, father of two violin playing boys, had arranged the nice visit. –I called Alexander’s mother and got the phone number to his management. And some SMSs and emails later, he is here. And this means a lot to the children, Ek-Stenmo smiled
– It was a bit strange to have him visiting, says 6-year old Johannes Ek-Stenmo.
– This was great. Interesting to see a “real” violinist, smiled 11 year old Michelle Chan,
– What I have learned? I have learned how I can write songs. I have learned to express my feelings more when I play. And I have learned that Alexander Rybak is very cozy in real life, Ellen Aabol smiled.
More tips
Alexander told the children that it is wise to play the piano in addition to a string instrument, that it smart to use the whole length of the violin bow. That it is better to play horizontally and fluently, than up and down like a bouncing ball. That he, himself, manages quite fine with violins costing 5000 NOK each, and that it is possible to “cheat” in the very fast music parts, because the audience don’t hear what is played anyway…
– Continue with everything you are good at and like to do, Rybak advised, who wrote his last advice for the day on the backside of a violin: “Practice little, play a lot!”.
