SONGWRITING

 

A song is born

 

Like children, music also has to be conceived and find its way through someone to enter into this world. At least the kind of music I write. How exactly does this happen? When can we say that a song is fully born? And why are there some songs that move us deeply and seem to have eternal life, while others don't last longer than a mayfly? I don't know if I hold the ultimate truth to these questions, but I've had some extraordinary life-changing experiences when it comes to songwriting, that has left me in awe and made me perceive music in a whole new way.

 
 

As you might know by now, the music entered my life in such a powerful way that I had no other choice than to make it my priority number one. I soon discovered there were two ways I could write and compose music, and that the differences in between the two were significant. There were the songs that I could sit down and decide to write. I would think about what I wanted to say in my lyrics, how I wanted the melody to sound, and what I wanted people to feel. It was just me and my guitar, creating a song. And then, there were the songs that came to me and asked to be written. Those songs were already complete; the lyrics, the melodies, the emotional state they were carrying, absolutely none of it was for me to decide. To this music I was not the creator, but a vessel and a gateway to enter the world. My job was to give space and allow it to come through, as untouched and pure as possible.

So I opened up, and I had to learn how to let go of all control, as any interference from my side would stop the flow. And in that effortless in-stream of lyrics and melodies, I would be uplifted and nurtured in a way that I had never experienced before in my life. I was brought into a state of inner peace and freedom, where I was filled with a deep knowing that every minute spent within that state, was a minute where I gave myself and my body a chance to heal. Because, unlike the songs that I could create, this music had enormous potential.

And just like any living person, every song had a unique personality and its own way of approaching me. I would be taken along on inner journeys, they would fill me with all kinds of emotions, show me pictures and moving images, and sometimes even talk about things that I had never heard of before. Some came rushing in with force and determination, allowing me to hear the music loud and clear as if an inner radio had been turned on. Others would gently tap my shoulder, or pass by me so quickly that I was lucky if I managed to grab them by the tail. And then there were the ones that would speak to me in the most intimate and subtle ways, where I had to slow down my breathing and become aware of every single movement within my body. There was no recipe to follow, other than following the movement of the song, and being willing to go anywhere. And no matter how intense and messy the writing process would be at times, I knew that everything would land in the perfect place.

 
 

The songs that came to me were always linked to my inner growth, carrying the light codes and insights that had transformed my life, and in this way, they were made available to others. As more and more songs were finished I started noticing a building pressure inside of me, an inner push to get the music out into the world. And from the very beginning, it was crystal clear that the amount of impact the music would have on people was directly related to its level of integrity and the emotional connection of each song. Knowing this, I vowed to myself, and the music, that I would never compromise and only release music that was in its full potential. 

As I started sharing the songs with others, I got to see exactly why this was so important; The energy in the room would always change, someone would burst into tears, and it would get so quiet that it almost felt a little strange at times. And as I finished playing, people would come up to me and say things like: "I got chills all over my body", "Something happened in this room when you started singing”, and "Whatever you just did, moved me deeply”.

It was obvious that these songs had an ability to find their way into people’s hearts and bring them into that same state I had been in while writing them. Knowing the power of that state, I fully devoted myself to sharing the music. I released my debut album “What I’m Living For”, visited one radio station after the other, played at festivals, put out my first music video and was on the front page of the magazine “Din Reportasje”, where they beautifully covered my story. I received an incredible amount of support and it all was moving very fast. Little did I know that it was building towards the moment where I had to let the music go and painfully became aware of the areas of my life that still needed healing.

12 years ago, in that moment of despair when the music entered my life, I found myself in a living nightmare where I was struggling to survive. I had cried out to God for help, and as an answer to my prayers, I was reconnected with my essence and put on the path of my life’s purpose. As I was writing the songs, I was spending time where I was in full integrity with myself. And while being in that state of full integrity, I had access to my potential and my life force. I started remembering who I was and why I was here. And over time I realized that the value I was bringing into this world was equally important to the value of any song I had ever written. And that was the moment my life truly began changing for the better; when I started treating myself with the same amount of respect that I treated the music.

 
 

And here I am, almost 5 years later, finally ready to fully step into my life’s purpose and bring the music to the world. I've lived, I've learned and I've grown. And I’ve come to know that the music needs me just as much as I need the music. You see, for a song to be born it is not enough to be written, it also needs to be shared, as it is the moment that it touches someone’s heart and soul that it comes to life.

I believe that the true purpose of the music, and the reason I am here, is to communicate the importance of self-worth, self-respect, self-love, and integrity. Whether that is through sharing the songs, telling my story or just being me. Because I don’t necessarily have to do something big, I just need to be who I am. And through that authentic expression, I allow myself to BE in this world in a way that has the potential to uplift and inspire others to do the same. Just like a song. And if I'm right, the footprints we leave behind when walking this planet within our full potential will never fade. They carry the presence of something greater that has eternal life.

May the music bring you into a state of true freedom and align you with the essence of who you are. And please, do yourself and the world a favor; know your worth, be yourself, and express who you are.

 
 

ACHEIVEMENTS WITHIN SONGWRITING

I have attended The international songwriting competition two times, in 2020 and 2021. Both times my songs were selected as semi-finalists. "What I'm living for" in 2020 and "You and I" in 2021. I also attended the Unsigned Only music competition in 2023 with the song "You and I" and got through to the semifinals.

 
 
"Music is perhaps the most divine of all the art forms in that it creates an active, living and moving form that takes us for a while into another world."
 

John O'Donohue - "Eternal Echoes"

 
 

UNRELEASED MUSIC


These videos are created as an invitation for you to see more of my work as a songwriter. They are simple recordings made with my phone, unpolished and raw.

 
"This is how we do it" came with the working title "We don't fight we love". It all started with a drumbeat that I heard at a concert.  That rhythm and how it made me feel became my lifeline to the song as I was writing it. I instantly knew it would be the opening number at the release concert of my debut album, "What I'm Living For", on 11.11.2018. Little did I know that it would unfold into an amazing story of alignment and synchronicities that left me speechless and in awe of what was possible; A story that deserves to be shared in its fullness. "This is how we do it" carries a powerful message of how we can bring peace into this world.

 
"Always a reason why". Inspired by my dear friend Tonje Fjeldberg Elshaug's journey with cancer. On the day that she told me that she was sick and that the doctors were worried, rushing in came this song that turned out to be a powerful support through the many challenges she was about to face. "Always a reason why" carries the message that life is no coincidence, that we are never alone, and that within us lies an enormous power and potential to expand and grow when life takes unexpected turns. I knew that Tonje had access to this power already, she was a living example of that, and so my song became a strong reminder to her of who she was and what she was capable of.
 
"Vital signs" tapped on my shoulder in January of 2020, right before the pandemic broke out. Almost like a premonition with its lyrics; "Taken by the wildest river to the dark unknown". And at the same time it said something about how we could face what was ahead of us; "Oh my love, my shattered heart is beating tears upon my faith. Hold me close, leave every part until morning breaks ." Which means to not try to put the broken pieces back together, and instead hold each other and let God lead the way through the darkness until the new has come into place. "Vital signs" carries the message that when God is at the center of our being we can face the root of our deepest pain and come to see how worthy we are.

 
"Wide open". When this song showed up in 2021 it fueled my hope as it came with these lyrics; "This is the moment that I start bringing you back to life", "This is the moment that I tell you that you have been purified" and "When the darkness played out before us is nothing more than what we can hold, could it be that we have finally broken through the last wall?". I had been on an intense healing journey for years, putting all my focus and energy into creating a good life for me and my children. At this point, I found myself exhausted and in doubt, and yet again existence handed me a lifeline. "Wide open" carries the energy of a wide open heart, filled with God's unconditional love that pours until all is healed.
 
"Sweet tears". The tears we cry when something comes to an end that will take us to a better place. My inspiration came through an inner experience where I was shown a dandelion with all its seeds ready to be released into the air. I then became one of the seeds and got to feel what it was like to be taken by the wind. It was so peaceful, no clinging on to what was done. And in complete trust, with a deep inner knowing that this was the only way for life to continue, I fully leaned into the movement. "Sweet tears" carries the beautiful energy of how to peacefully let go of what is already done and of Life breaking new ground. 

 
"Shades of Light"; a fun upbeat song we can all dance to! The inspiration came out of a small video I watched of Will Smith. He was talking about the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who believe in us, who support us, and would love to see us succeed and live our full potential! "Shades of Light"  is that friend who knows that everyone is unique, that when someone brings their shade of light into this world it uplifts every single one of us and makes it easier for the rest to do the same. It's a celebration of our uniqueness and a strong encouragement for us to bring our much-needed light into this world.
 
"Born to never die" is a song I always felt would be a hidden track on one of my albums. An extra treat at the very end. It talks about how we spend precious time running away from our problems in life. How we continue to hope and pray for something better to come while at the same time being unwilling to face the truth and take responsibility. "Born to never die" is the clear voice of an honest friend saying; "STOP! I love you, but this life is not forever!" It offers the potential for change and growth.

 
The inspiration for "Sweet talking" came out of a story I read in a magazine, about a friend of mine that had his spiritual awakening while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. A defining moment that changed his life forever. Much like my own story, where I went from being a nurse to becoming a singer and a songwriter, he climbed up the mountain as a personal trainer and walked down as a healer and spiritual teacher. "Sweet talking" carries the energy of powerful life-changing moments, of Divine intervention.
 
 

Support my work?


If you appreciate my music and feel inspired to support my work, you are welcome to make a donation. Every contribution goes directly into the production of my 2nd album, which I believe will be carrying the title "This is how we do it".