{"id":8356,"date":"2019-11-05T17:04:21","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T17:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/?p=8356"},"modified":"2019-11-13T15:36:01","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T15:36:01","slug":"musik","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/musik\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introduction to Swedish Musik"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rodrigo Rivas Ruiz\/imagebank.sweden.se “Music Festival,” Way Out West Festival<\/p><\/div>\n

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Music is a huge passion of mine, so I\u2019ve decided to dedicate the first post of each month to it. Music allows listeners to explore a variety of narratives within a culture and is a fantastic tool for language acquisition. Whether it\u2019s boosting general listening comprehension or learning the rhythm of spoken language, music is an especially helpful tool for mastering a melodic language like Swedish. My music posts will highlight ways to integrate music as a tool in language learning, while weaving in all kinds of Swedish music factoids, exploring niche genres, and having a little fun! But first, let\u2019s set the scene\u2026why is Swedish music such a big deal?<\/p>\n

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att lyssna p\u00e5 musik<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0to listen to music\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-> lyssnar -> lyssnade -> har lyssnat -> lyssna!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Chelsea \u00e4lskar att lyssna p\u00e5 svensk musik.\u00a0<\/em>
\n<\/span>\u00a0 Chelsea loves to listen to Swedish music.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

svensk – svenskt – svenska<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Swedish, en \/ ett \/ plural forms<\/span><\/p>\n

svensk musik\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>Swedish music
\n<\/span>ett svenskt album \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 a Swedish album
\n<\/span>svenska artister <\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Swedish artists \/musicians<\/span><\/p>\n

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Music is one of Sweden\u2019s biggest exports<\/strong><\/p>\n

70\u2019s and 80\u2019s groups like ABBA and Roxette need no introduction. ABBA alone has sold over 385 million records making them one of Universal Music\u2019s biggest music acts ever. Electronic beat makers like Avicii, who was the first DJ to play at Radio City Music Hall, and Swedish House Mafia, who sold out Madison Square Garden in 9 minutes have both propelled modern Swedish sounds around the globe.\u00a0 Tove Lo, Zara Larsson, First Aid Kit, and pop superwoman Robyn have all paved the way for Swedes in the music scene abroad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

en l\u00e5t – l\u00e5tar<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 song – songs<\/span><\/p>\n

Svenska artister sjunger ofta l\u00e5tar p\u00e5 engelska.\u00a0<\/em>
\n<\/span>Swedish artists often sing songs in English.<\/span><\/p>\n

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But how are these Swedes so good to begin with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Vilhelm Stokstad\/imagebank.sweden.se, “Midsummer”<\/p><\/div>\n

First, support of music education shines in Sweden. Students can choose music as their focus of study in high school, providing young musicians with formal study. Students learn to play instruments and compose original pieces, setting them up for success in the music industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

att spela instrument <\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0to play an instrument<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-> spelar -> spelade -> har spelat -> spela! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Kan du spela instrument?\u00a0 <\/em><\/span>\u00a0Can you play an instrument?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, the Swedish Arts Council gives out generous funding to emerging artists, covering costs like recording, production, and the releasing of their music. And where do all those epic lead singers come from? According to this stat from the Swedish Choir Association, a staggering 600,000 Swedes are members of a choir. In a country of roughly 10.2 million people, that a lot of love for vocal traditions!<\/span><\/p>\n

att sjunga \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0to sing<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0-> sjunger -> sj\u00f6ng -> har sjungit -> sjung!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jag och mina barn sjunger alltid i bilen.<\/em>
\nMy kids and I always sing in the car.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sveriges k\u00f6rf\u00f6rbund <\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0the Swedish choir Association<\/span><\/p>\n

Sveriges k\u00f6rf\u00f6rbunds motto \u00e4r \u201cK\u00f6rs\u00e5ng \u00e4r livet.\u201d<\/em>
\n<\/span>The Swedish Choir Association\u2019s motto is \u201cChorale music is life.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kulturr\u00e5det \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 the Swedish Arts Council\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kulturr\u00e5det har ungef\u00e4r femtio olika bidrag att s\u00f6ka.<\/em>
\n<\/span>The Swedish Arts Council has about fifty different grants to apply for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

att s\u00f6ka bidrag<\/strong> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0to apply for a grant<\/span><\/p>\n

-> s\u00f6ker -> s\u00f6kte -> har s\u00f6kt -> s\u00f6k!<\/p>\n

Artister kan s\u00f6ka bidrag inom musik, litteratur, teater, och mera!<\/em>
\n<\/span>Artists can apply for funding in music, literature, theater, and more!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\nCreators behind the scenes
\n<\/b>Swedes have earned their keep in the music industry by writing and producing for some of the biggest international acts. Producers Max Martin, Shellback, and Red One have written hits for American pop groups like the Backstreet Boys, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Usher, just to name a few. Also, those ABBA guys Benny and Bj\u00f6rn continue to compose a variety of pieces, penning a few musicals; Mamma Mia<\/em>, Chess<\/em>, and Kristina fr\u00e5n Duvem\u00e5la<\/em>.<\/p>\n

att spela in \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>to record<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0->spelar -> spelade -> har spelat -> spela!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Texten \u00e4r klar, nu \u00e4r det dags att spela in!<\/em>
\n<\/span>The lyrics are done, now it\u2019s time to record!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Getting music to the people<\/strong><\/p>\n

Swedish innovators have developed some pretty brilliant ways to get more music to more people. The music streaming service Spotify is a Swedish-owned company, revolutionizing the way listeners have access to music and discover new artists. Soundcloud, a platform for artists to upload and share their music, is also a Swedish invention. Not to mention Pirate Bay, the file-sharing platform that stirred up loads of copyright controversy in the early 2000\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

en spellista – listor<\/strong> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0a playlist\/s<\/span><\/p>\n

Henrik vill g\u00f6ra en ny spellista till festen p\u00e5 fredag.<\/em>
\n<\/span>Henrik wants to make a new playlist for the party on Friday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

att uppt\u00e4cka \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>to discover\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-> uppt\u00e4cker -> uppt\u00e4ckte -> har uppt\u00e4ckt -> uppt\u00e4ck!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Med Spotify \u00e4r det l\u00e4tt att uppt\u00e4cka nya artister.<\/em>
\n<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0With Spotify, it\u2019s easy to discover new artists.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

att ladda ner<\/strong> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0to download<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-> laddar -> laddade -> har laddat -> ladda!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0M\u00e5nga laddade ner gratis musik fr\u00e5n Pirate Bay.<\/em>
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Many downloaded free music from Pirate Bay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now it’s your turn!<\/strong>
\nSwedish students often tell me \u201cIt\u2019s so hard to find Swedish music sung in Swedish! Everybody sings in English.\u201d It\u2019s true, a lot of them do. But remember you\u2019re hearing the stuff targeted at English-speaking markets.\u00a0 I\u2019ve made a lengthy Spotify playlist of popular, indie, and classic artists across many genres, and decades -EVERY song is in Swedish. For folks learning Swedish, I\u2019d suggest just listening and exploring at first. Don\u2019t worry about comprehension for now, just enjoy!<\/span><\/p>\n

Happy listening! Tell me you favorite songs from this list in the comments.<\/p>\n

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See the playlist below or click here to listen on Spotify<\/a>!<\/p>\n