Panel discussion and Løkki

The panel consists of Dr. Alexandra Lamont from Keele University, UK, Katri Saarikivi from University of Helsinki, Finland and Michel Hogenes from The Hague University, Netherlands. All of them are specialists in their fields and know a great deal about how people, especially children and young people, react to music. This was very educational, but unfortunately in English. It wasn't such a big problem that it was in English, but it would have been easier to understand in Norwegian. I learned a lot that I didn't know before, for example that children like music from the moment they are born, but because they want to fit in, they lose the ability to be accepting of all types of music. Children after the age of 12 don't have this ability anymore, but if they are "forced" to listen to something other than what they normally do, they can start to like other types of music. Adults also have a big part to play in the development of children and young people and the music they listen to. We often like the music we grow up listening to. If we hear new music, we will look for an adult so that they can judge whether it is good or bad.

Suddenly we hear a banjo and guitar playing, and in comes Løkki. In three voices, they sing a song about love and having everything, only to lose it. Hans Martin Austestad on vocals and banjo, Nils Christian Fossdal on vocals and guitar and Mattis Myrland on vocals. As they walk into the audience, we hear songs about everything from a cow called Åtte potte rømme to loss and love. They were both funny and serious. In some places it was a bit sour, but they made up for it with their fantastic, self-written songs. After 4 songs, Løkki walked out of the room. Tia and I followed, while the panel continued to talk. This was a good end to our first day at Marked for Musikk.

By Caroline

Photo: Morten Berentsen