Editorial

The accordion’s image in Finland has constantly been renegotiated by performers, composers, instrument makers and audiences who have recognised its potential in a variety of settings. Each of its many roles contributes to a vibrant mosaic. But how has this mosaic been compiled, and what does it look like in Finland today?

“Early music – broadly defined – is anything but static. It stretches, bends, and reinvents itself in dialogue with a growing array of genres, traditions, and practices. This issue explores how early music and its practices thrive at these various intersections today”, writes Lasse Lehtonen.

This special issue of FMQ highlights improvisation. We delve into the experiences of musicians who balance spontaneity and structure, revealing how improvisation shapes their creative processes and performances in kaleidoscopic ways.

"This special issue of FMQ allows the vibrancy and joy of children’s music to shine through verbally, visually, and aurally," writes Lasse Lehtonen.

"We should be talking much more about how AI affects our capabilities in critical thinking (or thinking in general) and how we are able to assess whether the information surrounding us is true or false", writes Lasse Lehtonen.

It may be clichéd to note that music is an exceptionally powerful medium for channeling strong emotions, but this cliché certainly underscores its validity when one encounters a profoundly human emotion: grief. The expression – or experience – of grief through music can follow highly normative and ritualized paths, especially during occasions like funerals. However, it can also take freer forms, seeking to push the boundaries and norms that society typically imposes on how we should experience grief.

"Video game music has become increasingly prominent in musical life in Finland. This special issue introduces some of the fascinating and diverse aspects of game music in the country," writes Lasse Lehtonen.

"While all the articles address different topics, it becomes apparent that, regardless of genre or generation, the strength of Finnish-Japanese musical exchange ultimately boils down to avid enthusiasm and fruitful collaborations. These collaborations have resulted in long-lasting friendships – both between two countries and between people", writes editor-in-chief Lasse Lehtonen.

"For better or worse, the occupation of a musician is largely defined by competing," writes Lasse Lehtonen.

"All pieces in this Special Feature share one theme: the significance of encounters," writes Lasse Lehtonen.

In this issue we explore the relationship between music and environment, both natural and cultural. What traces, influences and meanings of the environment do the people who create, consume and study music find in it today?

"In traditional cultures, singing, music-making and dancing are all one. Although music and dance have subsequently split into separate genres in Western countries, the age-old link has never been totally severed. The 4/2013 FMQ presents a selection of ways in which the marriage of music and dance is manifest in present-day Finland."

Amid the maelstroms of crisis rocking the world, the FMQ takes a look at musicians’ finances. What is the colour of money in the world of music, and what is the outlook?

"Its versatility is undoubtedly just one of the reasons why the guitar has established such a visible role in the world; in a way it has become the paradigmatic instrument of contemporary Western society. Playing the guitar embodies many of today’s fundamental values, such as sociability, success and supreme mastery. Rock guitar, in particular, is often very showy but also highly technical, and a clear hierarchy prevails within the band; these things are again typical of the present day and age. "