Sometimes an apple falls between two different trees?
On one side you can trace musicians back through the generations, and the other side without any doubt provides the urge to perform and being on stage.
I was born in small-town Arvika, in the western part of Sweden,
and far away from stages and live music.
But there was an old piano in the house and from the moment I could
reach up to the keys it became my best friend.
So between pranks and school I was hammering the keys..
At the age of 18 I moved to Stockholm to pursue a career as a plumber.
(“Son, you must have a REAL job..”), but the very moment I came to town
I realized that there were more to life then plumbing?
Even though I’ve always played the piano I never thought of it as a career.
But Stockholm at that time was a vibrating city for live music,
and there were piano-bars everywhere. I still remember the first one:
Sergel Plaza Hotel, and Karen Nelson Bell was playing. And man could she play!
So I found myself sitting and listening to the entertainers of that time,
observing, and learning the trade.
And to my neighbor’s delight (?) I went home to practice
and expanding my repertoire..
Soon I found the confidence to sit in and play a song or two.
The smiles and applause were like an injection of confidence and
encouraged me to make a career change.
I freelanced for some years in the Stockholm area, and in 1987 I was “drafted” by the major agency of that time. Now I was working all over Sweden and I also did some work in Finland and Denmark as well.
A three month job in Spain left me with a taste for more of the sun, but Ol' Faith held a new card up her sleeve:
I was offered a "real job" at the US Embassy in Stockholm.
I worked there briefly earlier as a plumber,
and now I was offered a position as a driver.
I thought I could combine “giging” in Stockholm with a real job.
After a year I moved in behind one of many desks at the embassy to work with procurement, inventory and consumption statistics ( yaaawwwwn).
But I was given many opportunities to perform both at the Embassy and
at the Ambassador’s residence.
Many memorable moments, but two ones stand out:
On one occasion I was asked to perform at yet another function,
but boy was I in for a surprise!
Instead of the usual audience of diplomats and politicians,
I was seeing the all-star elite of Swedish jazz-musicians mingling around the piano,
and over in the corner the vocal wonder Al Jarreau himself was sipping on his glass.
The ever so beautiful Natasha Kinski smiled at me,
and the whole situation was somewhat unreal..
And if that wasn't enough to make me shiver,
with the grace of a royalty Mr. Quincy Jones himself walked in the room..
and at that point I was in a world of my own :-)
Congratulations on the Polar Music Award Mr. Jones!!
(I doubt that anyone of these artists above remembers me,
but I will never forget them!)
1994, When Richard Nixon passed away,
all US Embassy’s around the world held a memorial reception.
I was asked to play and everything went fine until the ambassador came up to the piano and said: “Göran, after my speech, to not make this too gloomy, why don’t you play one of the songs that Mr. Nixon used to play on the piano?”
And the ambassador turned away, continuing shaking hands..
I was paralyzed!
Excuse me, but I’m just not sure that I know that Mr. Nixon even played the piano?.
(Was he any good?)
And seconds later the ambassador held his speech.
Stunned and numbed I just looked at the piano? and suddenly I had a vision!
I could remember myself watching TV at home as kid: black and white, almost oval screen, and with his back towards the camera:
Mr. Nixon was playing “Home on the range”
I snapped out of the "dream", and I looked down at the keys, the ambassador still talking, and I thought that if Beethoven could compose a symphony without hearing, there was a slight chance that I could learn one old folksong,
just by looking at the keys.
I placed my hands on the good old ivories and tried to “feel” each not
under my fingers: yes, hmmm, no, maybe?.
And then I heard my name?.
With a slight tremble in my fingers I slowly started to play.
It was like walking over a minefield.
One bad note and the whole room would have blown up.
But when I looked up I saw the diplomatic elite of
Stockholm gently drying their eyes.
Many years later, and thanks to internet I have found out that
Mr Nixon indeed played the piano.
I'm still to this date not sure though about "Home on the range”..
In 1995 I left the Embassy, many good memories and friends,
but I’m not fit for desk work?
Since then I’ve been on the road, and this great job has taken me
to places all over Scandinavia,
and also a bit outside the home of polar bears and ice-castles..
In 1996 I discovered scuba diving, and in 1997 I took the final exam:
Open Water Scuba Instructor.
I even managed to work double in ‘98 as an instructor at daytime,
and as a paianoman at night.
Phew, that was a long warm summer in Greece,
and I left 15 kg of body weight behind..
Scuba diving is now just a hobby since it difficult to combine it with music.
But I might pick up instructing again ‘cause that was fun!!
My carrier as a pianoentertainer picked up: I was working a lot in Stockholm,
and I came as close to a “normal” life that one can with this job.
9/11 had a devastating effect on the jobs in Stockholm,
and I have been finding more and more work in Norway.
So now I move between ships and hotels spreading the gospel..
Each month a new adventure and a chance to meet new faces and seeing places!!
/g
On one side you can trace musicians back through the generations, and the other side without any doubt provides the urge to perform and being on stage.
I was born in small-town Arvika, in the western part of Sweden,
and far away from stages and live music.
But there was an old piano in the house and from the moment I could
reach up to the keys it became my best friend.
So between pranks and school I was hammering the keys..
At the age of 18 I moved to Stockholm to pursue a career as a plumber.
(“Son, you must have a REAL job..”), but the very moment I came to town
I realized that there were more to life then plumbing?
Even though I’ve always played the piano I never thought of it as a career.
But Stockholm at that time was a vibrating city for live music,
and there were piano-bars everywhere. I still remember the first one:
Sergel Plaza Hotel, and Karen Nelson Bell was playing. And man could she play!
So I found myself sitting and listening to the entertainers of that time,
observing, and learning the trade.
And to my neighbor’s delight (?) I went home to practice
and expanding my repertoire..
Soon I found the confidence to sit in and play a song or two.
The smiles and applause were like an injection of confidence and
encouraged me to make a career change.
I freelanced for some years in the Stockholm area, and in 1987 I was “drafted” by the major agency of that time. Now I was working all over Sweden and I also did some work in Finland and Denmark as well.
A three month job in Spain left me with a taste for more of the sun, but Ol' Faith held a new card up her sleeve:
I was offered a "real job" at the US Embassy in Stockholm.
I worked there briefly earlier as a plumber,
and now I was offered a position as a driver.
I thought I could combine “giging” in Stockholm with a real job.
After a year I moved in behind one of many desks at the embassy to work with procurement, inventory and consumption statistics ( yaaawwwwn).
But I was given many opportunities to perform both at the Embassy and
at the Ambassador’s residence.
Many memorable moments, but two ones stand out:
On one occasion I was asked to perform at yet another function,
but boy was I in for a surprise!
Instead of the usual audience of diplomats and politicians,
I was seeing the all-star elite of Swedish jazz-musicians mingling around the piano,
and over in the corner the vocal wonder Al Jarreau himself was sipping on his glass.
The ever so beautiful Natasha Kinski smiled at me,
and the whole situation was somewhat unreal..
And if that wasn't enough to make me shiver,
with the grace of a royalty Mr. Quincy Jones himself walked in the room..
and at that point I was in a world of my own :-)
Congratulations on the Polar Music Award Mr. Jones!!
(I doubt that anyone of these artists above remembers me,
but I will never forget them!)
1994, When Richard Nixon passed away,
all US Embassy’s around the world held a memorial reception.
I was asked to play and everything went fine until the ambassador came up to the piano and said: “Göran, after my speech, to not make this too gloomy, why don’t you play one of the songs that Mr. Nixon used to play on the piano?”
And the ambassador turned away, continuing shaking hands..
I was paralyzed!
Excuse me, but I’m just not sure that I know that Mr. Nixon even played the piano?.
(Was he any good?)
And seconds later the ambassador held his speech.
Stunned and numbed I just looked at the piano? and suddenly I had a vision!
I could remember myself watching TV at home as kid: black and white, almost oval screen, and with his back towards the camera:
Mr. Nixon was playing “Home on the range”
I snapped out of the "dream", and I looked down at the keys, the ambassador still talking, and I thought that if Beethoven could compose a symphony without hearing, there was a slight chance that I could learn one old folksong,
just by looking at the keys.
I placed my hands on the good old ivories and tried to “feel” each not
under my fingers: yes, hmmm, no, maybe?.
And then I heard my name?.
With a slight tremble in my fingers I slowly started to play.
It was like walking over a minefield.
One bad note and the whole room would have blown up.
But when I looked up I saw the diplomatic elite of
Stockholm gently drying their eyes.
Many years later, and thanks to internet I have found out that
Mr Nixon indeed played the piano.
I'm still to this date not sure though about "Home on the range”..
In 1995 I left the Embassy, many good memories and friends,
but I’m not fit for desk work?
Since then I’ve been on the road, and this great job has taken me
to places all over Scandinavia,
and also a bit outside the home of polar bears and ice-castles..
In 1996 I discovered scuba diving, and in 1997 I took the final exam:
Open Water Scuba Instructor.
I even managed to work double in ‘98 as an instructor at daytime,
and as a paianoman at night.
Phew, that was a long warm summer in Greece,
and I left 15 kg of body weight behind..
Scuba diving is now just a hobby since it difficult to combine it with music.
But I might pick up instructing again ‘cause that was fun!!
My carrier as a pianoentertainer picked up: I was working a lot in Stockholm,
and I came as close to a “normal” life that one can with this job.
9/11 had a devastating effect on the jobs in Stockholm,
and I have been finding more and more work in Norway.
So now I move between ships and hotels spreading the gospel..
Each month a new adventure and a chance to meet new faces and seeing places!!
/g