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EESTI ELU reedel, 17. juulil 2020 — Friday, July 17, 2020
Nr. 28
A collaboration between Chaordic Design and Estonian Life
Photo used with permission from Kristi Allik
We’re Listening with EMW: Kristi Allik’s Innovations in Music Technology Vincent Teetsov In November 2019 at WE: Global Learning Centre, Ensemble U performed for Latitude 44 and Estonian Music Week audiences with scenes of Marimetsa Raba (Marimetsa Bog) displayed on virtual reality headsets. It was a one-of-a-kind live music moment for many, and has prompted the question: “Where else can we find tech nological innovation like this in Estonian music?” A thorough answer to this question could easily require several more festivals and con ferences, but one individual who exemplifies this pursuit of new ideas and intellectual ex pansion is Estonian-Canadian composer and music educator Kristi Allik. Kristi has created at least 55 performed and recorded compositions since 1975, for a broad range of in struments. This includes music for keyboards, English horn, violin, percussion, electroacoustic instruments, and or chestras with soloists. “Lend Me Your Harp”, a chorus and chamber orchestra piece from 1981, sets the scene for the be ginning of the Kalevipoeg epic. Her music continues to be per formed by the next generation of classical musicians, includ ing pianist Jana Luksts. Kristi is Professor Emeritus of Queen’s University School of Music, having taught there from 1988 to her retirement from teaching in 2013. Through the Electroacoustic Music Studios and the Computer Laboratory for Applications in Music (CLAM), she has championed electronics and a broadened sonic palette for musicians and sound artists. Sound art and music often exist in a impermanent way. Notes are played and dissipate apart from the way they move us as listeners. But delving into her career, you will inevitably encounter her technological explorations with Skyharp. Created in 1990 with multi media artist Robert Mulder, it
was an instrument that bridged shape and sound. The concept of Skyharp was to use video signals to create music. Movements within the video frame were analyzed by software, interpreted for dyna mic data, sent to a computer to create sound, and then played back through a chorus of 13 to 16 specially-designed speakers. When the instrument was pre miered in July 1991 at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area near Kingston, Ontario, it relayed the movements of an 80 year old (at the time of the debut) elm tree at the edge of a marsh. Each branch had a different tonal and rhythmic quality. They were onto something with this invention. Subse quently, the Cloud Harp (or “Keplerian Harp”), was invented by Nicholas Reeves and the NXI Gestatio Laboratory at Université du Québec à Montréal in 1997. Cloud Harp utilizes an infrared laser and reads clouds for sound data, as a CD player reads the bottom of a disc. With Skyharp, as well as several projects before and after, Kristi and Robert em barked upon a harmonious ex change of ideas and invention. For instance, at the February 2000 performance of Skyharp: Ghost Tree at Koffler Gallery, Robert used software to translate the choreography of Canadian dancer Holly Small into sound. This choreography reflected footage of the old elm tree in 1994 and 1998, before and after an ice storm caused devastating damage. Kristi Allik is a perfect ex ample of the intrepid EstonianCanadian musical and techno logical advances that Estonian Music Week and Latitude 44 are all about. Keep watching for updates on Instagram and Facebook – you’re bound to find artists pushing the boun daries in all ways possible!
Last week we discussed action as a strategy for success, which links perfectly to this week’s interview with Talvi Parming. Talvi is an Estonian community leader here in Toronto, who has demonstrated thoughtful inno vation and strategic action in the roles she has taken. Connected to her professional background as a teacher, Talvi’s efforts emphasize group physi cal activity, spending time out doors, and hands-on education. She is also active as a juht (leader) for the Estonian Girl Guides. What do you try to instill with physical activity that might help people on their individual paths in life? I think it’s easy for many of us to spend the day behind a computer (especially if that’s your job, too) and Google the answer to most questions that pop into our heads. I guess my goal with teaching and working with young people is to keep them away from their devices for long enough to wonder about how or if something can be done and to actually go out and try it (e.g. watch leaves race down a river, boost friends up to climb a tree, try to walk across a field with your eyes closed, roll down a hill in a straight line). Is there someone in parti cular you look up to as a teacher? If so, what have you learned from them to use in your own career and activi ties? The best teachers I had were those that gave us challenges, just for the sake of challenges. An element of competition can make it fun, but if the challenge is creative, as well as challeng ing yourself to do more than last time, the reward is just as easily listening to all the crea tive ways in which the opposing team/player solved the chal lenge, as actually winning the game. This is something I strive for in creating my own met samängud (forest games), lõked (campfires) and tegevused (ac tivities); something that is outof-the-box, different or a new take on an old classic, with an element of personal challenge. The best compliment I can get is summed up by a student who participated in my Hallo ween escape room, who said, “My group didn’t solve any of the clues and definitely didn’t escape the room. That was so much fun! Can we do it again?” Do you see yourself as a role model through your indi vidual actions? Have you noticed your own actions inspire other young Estonian women to become leaders? I’d like to think that I’ve in spired many of the girls and
young women who were once my campers and co-counsellors and co-leaders. Only they can really know what kind of an impact I have had on them. I greatly enjoy watching them becoming leaders in our com munity and smile every time one of them comes to me to ask about an activity they’re trying to organize, because they remember something I created a number of years ago that they enjoyed participating in and they want to create something similar. As a juht for the Estonian Girl Guides, how have you promoted confidence in young women? As gaidid is very much an organization that promotes initiative, taking responsibility for oneself and being a leader in the community, I think these girls are off to a good start in building their confidence simply by joining such an organization. I quite enjoy going along with seemingly harebrained ideas that kids come up with because it often builds confidence that their ideas are worth consider ing and usually ends up being a ton of fun for everyone. When I plan activities, hikes and challenges, I go for ideas that are out-of-the-box and require thinking and getting active to solve. It is only by doing some thing outside of one’s comfort zone that one can really grow his/her confidence. Use of the Estonian lan guage has been key in your community leadership roles and professional path, includ ing your studies at the Uni versity of Tartu. How can young women who are learn ing Estonian make the process of learning the language more effective? Spending a year in Tartu was incredibly valuable to learning
Paavo Järvi: Changes in culture can be noticeable ERR, July 2020 Paavo Järvi, the Estonian conductor of the German Deutsche Kammerphilharmo nie and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, believes changes in the world of culture are noticeable. Järvi told newspaper Eesti Päevaleht during an interview compared to the way everybody was treated during the Soviet era, relations are now very dif ferent. He added: “I don’t think only of the relationship between a man and a woman but the relationships between every single person have radically
Photo: Maimu Mölder
Excelling in the Midst of Adversity (part six): Interview with Talvi Parming
more about the Estonian lan guage, culture and history. I would recommend any young person to look into spending a year as an exchange student in Estonia, as a gap year or as a university student. I also en courage all young people to use Estonian as much as possible and as often as possible, even if it’s just throwing in a few words every few sentences. If you don’t use it regularly, you’ll forget it, and it is much harder to learn anew as an adult than to keep up with what you knew as a child. What advice do you have for women who want to be come more involved in sports and outdoor pursuits? It’s often difficult to get out doors in the city and indoor gyms are not nearly as inspiring or appealing. Setting aside a few weekends throughout the year (yes, even in winter!) to go somewhere overnight in a na tural area is a good start. Just being that close to nature is a great push to get up and walk, run or play. Even better when young kids are in tow because their natural curiosity and won der about the simplest things (crinkly leaves, critters under fallen logs, dandelions) makes us see a simple ravine walk in a completely different light. (This interview has been edited and condensed.) ••• Stay tuned for more inspiring interviews, strategies, and his tory in the coming weeks!
changed. It is a logical process but those can be very uncom fortable.” He also said now no one questions the role of female conductors, whereas he remem bers them doing so 10 years ago. Järvi believes Estonia needs a strong industry which sup ports national culture and spoke about Pärnu Music Festival, which starts on Thursday, and has been developed by the Järvi family. He said: “Culture is not something secondary which can be dealt with when nothing else is needed. The reality is that if the (Pärnu Music) Festival were supported by entrepreneurs, not just the state, it would be much healthier.” Pärnu Music Festival takes place from July 16 to 23 at Pärnu Concert Hall and on the festival’s TV channel.
