This morning - view from the roof of my house. (Juha H.) 

Birds of the day. (Juha H.) 

Jalakapallosta vapaata

Well, it feels a bit good to have a day off soccer. I've been watching so intensely football matches that it got a bit tiring. So a couple of days of rest is good. There is more to life than just football. I'm not a fanatic for soccer but I've always liked to watch World Cup - ever since I was a kid and that was a long time ago.

Music - some 4 - 5 hours playing and practising flute, tenor and soprano saxes. So nothing much.

I've been doing some masonry. And that is definately NOT good for fingers. But there were some work to be done.

Juha H.

Improvisages renaa taas

Improvisages had a rehearsal - all three of us. First Jori and I played through a few times the written compositions of our next concert. Then came Ari and we went through the whole show - with visuals and all music. After that Jori left. Ari and I fixed a bit the picture-sequence. Whole day's work. Now all is well.

After the Improvisages and before the first soccer-match of today I listened Yes, their CD Big Generator. I had never heard it before and I've never heard Yes so PoP-oriented. That was bit of a surprise.

Soon it's football again.

Juha H.

Lukemista ja jalkapalloa

During the last few days I've finally had some time to relax with a book in my hand. So I began to read Singularity Sky written by Charles Stross. Hard Science-Fiction and his first novel. So nice. I hope some day soon I can find Accelerando written by the same author.

Soccer goes on. Italy was better than Australia - with luck (?). Australia slightly dominated the match. All the while two teams kicked ball back and forth I played tenor sax, some electric guitar - and watched the game. Thus the match was even more interesting.

Juha H.

Scenery from Riihivuori over the Lake Keitele. (Juha H.) 

Mid-summer bonfire. (Juha H.) 

Roses after a drizzle. (Juha H.) 

Roses in my backyard - photographed yesterday. (Juha H.) 

Improvisages

Improvisages had a rehearsal - though just the two of us, Jori and I. (Ari is in Estonia on a vacation after opening of his Art Exhibition there...) It was nice to play - to improvise. Preparations for the concert in LaajaArt.

And the day was so warm.

Juha H.

Dolce

Finally today I mastered and got ready a CD full of my music. It's been a side-project for half a year. Now it's done and I can put it on a shelf as a CD. And of course I'm going to give it as a gift for some people - friends and then some. The compilation is such that I'm not even going to try to sell or release it in any way, I think. It's all too Dolce - sweet, sweetening music. Anyways that's what I wanted to do this time... Sini and J-V helped me with the music. Thanks for them.

Juha H.

Puolustusvoimien Varusmiessoittokunta feat. Marzi Nyman + Rumpuryhma - a military band (!!) was the best, most impressive surprise for me at Provinssi Rock 2006 Festival. Suol & Funk. (Juha H.)

Surusta ja ilosta

Soccer and music. This afternoon while Argentina and Serbia/Montenegro played football I wrote a composition. I watched the match and penciled music on paper in turns. That was nice. So Surusta ja ilosta (=About Sorrow and Joy) was born. And it was quite fast obvious which team would win. So I went to my studio, loaded ProTools and began recording the newly written composition. Every now and then I called Sini: "What is the situation?" Argentina just kept on scoring. And when the match game to its end the music was recorded and almost mixed, too. A bit more time and I could bounce the whole project to disk . It took two and a half hours and everything was done. Meanwhile Argentina got a massive win over Serbia/Montenegro, 6 - 0.

In the morning it's off to ProvinssiRock, Seinajoki.

Juha H.

Tallinna ja Metallica

Back from Tallinn, Estonia. Early this morning we were back home.

On Tuesday evening Metallica performed a great concert in Laululava, Tallinn. One gig on their Escape from the Studio 06 tour. There were some 80 000 people, weather was fine and the band superb. I've never been a great fan of Metallica, but the concert was very impressive. The musicians are not virtuosos - well, then on the other hand Hammett just might be. But the band as a whole and what they offer is of the finest order. Great charisma - Hetfield looks and performs like a Statesman , sort of. Trujillo - a strong and a bit (?) cruel looking bass player. Lots of strength in the bottom. I like the way he plays his instrument - it looks and sounds good. And what delighted me much was that the Dane of the band - Lars Ulrich played quite well. He didn't miss many hits... As a whole very good and positive experience. Unfortunately photographing was not allowed . So no photos. Isn't this a bit ridiculous - some modern day mobile phones have so good cameras that with them it's very easy to take internet quality pics.


Juha H.

Metallica

I mixed my suite for recorder - Aurinko, pilvet ja tuuli 1. - 3. (= The Sun, clouds and the wind 1. - 3.) The actual "orchestration" of the music is recorder, Yamaha wx5, Korg Synth, bass guitar and bells. Easy mixing even though it took most of the day.

After a few hours it's off to Tallinn, Estonia. Tomorrow Metallica'll perform there.

Juha H.

Suvi

Finally it's getting warm. Real summer is here.

Could not mix yesterday's music. Other obligations took my time. Hopefully tomorrow. What you can't do today - do it tomorrow...

I did take some photos today. Some of them are added here.

And now back to watching soccer World Cup 2006 and playing guitar.

Juha H.

Aurinko, pilvet ja tuuli

I wrote and recorded three all new compositions - Aurinko, pilvet ja tuuli 1.-3. (=The Sun, Clouds and the Wind ). Sort of a suite for recorder. More than six minutes of relatively easy music - relaxed and Dolce.

World Cup 2006 goes on. Today I've already watched more or less intensely two matches. And pretty soon the Third one is going to begin. And while watching maybe I'll play some guitar.

Juha H.

Jalakapallo

World Cup 2006 Germany began today. Football is so good. I'm going to watch many - maybe most of the matches. Great fun! And it gets especially entertaining when I add music to soccer. I've always liked to play - guitar, flute, recorder, tenor sax actually any instrument while watching football. That makes it double fun. Improvising music and watching a soccer match is great fun for me.

I'm not alone, I'm not the only one who likes football. For example Eero Lahti, the violinist of the Ensemble Hoikkaset, has canceled most of his gigs for a month - just to watch intensely soccer.

Juha H.

Bonfire burning to ashes. (Juha H.) 

Nurin

Yesterday Blogger.com was down. So I could not write anything. Now everything seems to be ok. And that is good.

Two days repairs in our kitchen. Now everything is pretty much done. And my fingers are sore. That's the way it goes with hammer and drill.

Juha H.

A very old photograph that I scanned yesterday and thus saved for the posterity. Happening in the park. (Juha H.) 

I scanned old photos. Perakamari rehearsing before a concert in Suolahtisali. Jukka Manninen (bass guitar), Jaakko Liimatainen (drums), Markku Raatikainen (guitar) and JH (woodwinds). (Juha H.) 

Kotona taas

Back home again. Just an hour ago I came back from a wonderfully fantastic gig - opening of an Art Exhibition in LaajaArt. The venue was almost crammed. I played Finish Folk music with masterful musicians and mostly improvisingly accompanied Maija P. in her recitations of poetry. And the Art Exhibition itself was/is quite fantastic. I'm very happy right now.

Juha H.

Kotona

Just a few moments ago I came back home from a gig and rehearsal- in that order... During the afternoon some parts of the PasuunaPelimannit had a nice little gig. Folkmusic for warmly appreciative audience. And after the gig the band had a rehearsal, sort of... PasuunaPelimannit jammed and had great fun at Veikko Liimatainen's summer cottage. We played wonderful music ranging from Finish Folk Music to Swing Jazz. Actually a lot of the music we played today was nicely jazzy, sort of. Very great fun.

Right now Sini and Hanna-Maaria are sailing to Tallinn, Estonia. Tomorrow They'll come back home.

Juha H.

Slightly psychedelic Sibelius... (Juha H.) 

Runomusiikkia

Maija P. visited. We planned and practised a bit for a poetry and music performance that we're going to have in LaajaArt. Actually Maija recited the poems and I played just a little flute and guitar along and in between the texts. Next time we meet it's a LIVE situation. So no more rehearsals. On Sunday I'll be playing a couple of my compositions and the rest of the music is going to be improvised at the spot and to the feelings and imaginary places where the poems take me.

Juha H.