My first classical work was a sinfonietta, written at the request of my mother and her partner Svend.

According to Google, a sinfonietta is a symphony that is smaller or lighter than a standard symphony.

A sinfonietta is also the term for an ensemble larger than a chamber ensemble

(Between 12 and 45 musicians), but smaller than a full-size symphony orchestra (up to 100 musicians).
I did not know.

My mother’s orchestra was called Nordjysk Sinfonietta and consisted of 10 musicians,

double bass, oboe, clarinet, 2 x violin, viola, French horn, cello, flute and bassoon
That much I knew, because I had seen and heard them play – and then I was up and running.

But before I finished, the orchestra fell apart. However, my mother thought

I could benefit from contacting the orchestra’s conductor, Morten Lønborg Friis.

Morten is a trained violist and conductor and head of the Rebild culture school.
Morten has mastered the classics and teaches me to this day.
He had an orchestra up north that could sample my sinfonietta.
So one Wednesday evening around 2015 I drove to Hobro, with a stack of

sheet music and met a large group of happy amateur musicians – and Morten.

I had started classical piano.

I couldn’t write a sinfonietta on my guitar, nor program myself to one.

So Marie Louise Reitberger, called Malou, whom I had once employed

as a piano teacher in a music school became my piano teacher.
Again one of those people who just know their stuff and share it. And a wonderful person too.

I myself am a music school teacher and it was from Malou

that I learned that the task is to keep the door open to the world of music, without reservations.

I am not lazy, but just preoccupied with many things, says the lazy.

Practice was not always at the top of the agenda, but I also had to write

and Malou listened both patiently and with sincere interest to my drafts,

first my Sinfonietta and later the string quartet – and then we took a little bit of Beethoven

which I then had to spell my way through.

I think a score is one of the most beautiful things to look at, it’s magical

what can be hidden in those annoying little signs called notes, which I’m only now fairly familiar with.

Good luck in Hobro, said Malou, it will be exciting.

It was a shock to hear them play my music.

As I later got into the habit, I dropped all the notes on the floor and couldn’t follow the score at all,

but I could hear my own music. It was like it came to life.
And they were probably amateurs, but they could play and also had professional pride.

During the break I sat with the bassoonist. A mature lady, very kind. She liked the music,

but.. she said, my voice..
uh, I said
yes, the bassoon voice
ah i said
I pretty much play the same note throughout the piece
I stared at her
I had no idea

After the break, Morten asked the orchestra to say something about the music.
A nerve-wracking moment – was it now that I had to apply for admission to the rubbish removal school?

But they were nice.
I got the bassoonist first.
I know that there was perhaps a little too little meat on the voices.
Yes, several people said.
but it is such a kind of meditative music
you get into a calm, even meditative mood when you play it.

I drove home from Hobro
Now I know what I want to do for the rest of my life
I said when I got home.

The Sinfonietta went in the drawer, but not in the bin.
Maybe it will be realized one day
I just have to…