Hei!  It's good to be back in touch!  Life has been busy these past few years what with buying the farm, setting up for our Soay and Icelandic sheep, and learning all about farming. Yes, I'm still teaching and as always, enjoying nature!! The music continues! We keep learning - isn't that great?!?  Lifelong learning keeps us all going!

I was just going to mention that the items pictured in the heading photograph above are very special Norwegian traditional items! 

​The horn is a bukkehorn or billy goat's horn, and has long been used for shepherding and tending other livestock.  It is similar to the blashorn (cow horn which is blown like a trumpet) but the bukkehorn has holes in it to help create a melody.  They are very loud and can be used in two ways.  One is to trumpet loudly out over the land to scare away predators that are after the livestock.  The other is to play a tune to entertain oneself on those long summer nights while watching over one's livestock.  This one was made by Magnar Storbækken of Naturinstrumentar.  Sadly, Magnar is no longer with us, but his legacy lives on in the voices of the instruments he's made.

The other item pictured here is a smør box made of birch by my Norwegian grandfather, Knut.  It is for carrying butter.  He gave it to me many, many years ago when I was a child.  I keep small special treasures in it to this very day. 

Hei!  Well, it's been some months since I've written.  My mother left this earth in June of this year and life has really been different.  I haven't felt able to create new things or music until just recently, although my music has certainly helped keep creative spirit alive. 

​It has been a tremendous summer of sharing Viking Age music from what we know thus far though, and also in sharing "Swan One".  People were really appreciative and loved getting in touch with their "roots".  I found that aspect of the summer was simply magical!  Nature was also a huge inspiration and healing factor that definitely added to my music and playing the bukkehorn has been a celebration with each note!

I wasn't able to get away to Norway this summer but sure plan on reconnecting with everyone there in 2020!