Meet a teacher - Fredrik Högberg

Fredrik Högberg is a composer and university lecturer in musical performance.
"If you study composition in Piteå, you have comparatively good chances of getting a job despite a tough labor market," says Fredrik Högberg.

Originally, the bachelor's and master's program in musical design was entirely focused on Western classical music. Nowadays, students who want to develop their skills in composing film music and music for computer games are also accepted.

"As long as you are good enough, you have a chance to be accepted. The type of knowledge that we teach is also needed in film and game music. However, we do not teach composition for rock and jazz, but there are course elements in these programs where you can learn composition in each genre"

In-depth knowledge of all instruments is required

In the bachelor's program, students learn the basics of the craft. As a composer, you must have in-depth knowledge of all the instruments in a symphony orchestra, its timbre and register, in order to know what is generally possible to play on a particular instrument. You must be able to write and arrange for musicians with different backgrounds, everything from children in the Municipal Music School to professional musicians. Furthermore, you must know how different instruments sound together and have an understanding that a small ensemble requires a completely different arrangement than an entire symphony orchestra.

"We have great collaborations with several professional ensembles and orchestras, including the Norrland Opera Symphony Orchestra, Norrbotten Neo and Gävle Symphony Orchestra. During the study period, students have the opportunity to compose for these and receive professional feedback from professional musicians"

There are close ties between the bachelor's and master's programs. At the master's level, the student is already expected to master the craft. Here the focus is more on the artistic expression.

"As a teacher, it becomes more complicated. It is inevitable that you influence the students with your own aesthetic ideals in a positive and negative direction. I must dare to guide them in the right direction but also be sensitive and not stand in the way of what is good that I do not yet understand"

The students help each other

The students in musical design are the largest individual group in the various fields of study at the School of Music. At present, a total of 16 students are pursuing a master's or master's degree program.

"We cooperate across grade boundaries. The students help each other. It creates a sense of belonging that the students benefit from. Traditionally, the profession of composer has been quite lonely. Artistic creation has been associated with anxiety and a compelling need to express oneself. We would rather focus on the desire to create"

Since the 1990s, about 125 students have graduated from the composition programs. Of these, about a quarter are currently professional composers. That is a comparatively large proportion.

"If you study composition in Piteå, you have good chances of getting a job despite a tough labor market. Recently, two of our students' works were selected to be performed at the Young Nordic Music Festival. We also have students who have already won international awards! It must be proof that we are doing something right" says Fredrik Högberg, himself a former master's student in musical design in Piteå and active as a composer