working from home

To actually write about what I promised, my work life, I need to write also about these weeks when I'm not touring or gigging but working from home and wondering what to do. So, here we go, I'm offering you a sneak peek to my week at home from day to day!
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M O N D A Y
Monday was still a bank holiday so I ate a brunch out, played on my Nintendo Switch, took a nap and all that kind of stuff you do on a day off. Also I needed to fight a bit against my brain who really wanted to bring all the work tasks up that needed to be taken care of. I wrote them down and kept on playing Mario Kart.

T U E S D A Y
I started working on my to-do list as the very first thing in the morning. In the afternoon I bicycled to exercise and the weather was amazing! I could feel the summer on my face as I opened the bicycling season. It was perfect! In the evening I made schedules for the next year's teaching and played a bit on my accordion.
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W E D N E S D A Y
I decided not to do any office stuff and have a music day. I browsed through some collections of old Finnish folk music melodies to find suitable tunes for my ideas for new ENKEL repertoire. I found nice tunes but not maybe exactly what I had in mind. So I have to keep on looking! 

I have different ways to work with the traditional material. Often I have an idea of the piece I'd like to make. For example I can think of the atmosphere of the tune (sad/happy/light/heavy), length of the melody, arrangement I want to make (simple or more layered and complicated or I might have a reference from an folk music hit from 90's or something), tune type (polka, polska, mazurka or something else!) or then I have a topic in my mind it it comes to lyrics. Sometimes the suitable tune pops up from the depth of my memory and I find that the best way. It means it's kind of living tradition because I've already learned it from someone somewhere and usually those tunes also mean something to me already. If nothing pops up in my head, then I have to search from these folk music collections (in the picture) or even go to the archives. I have to admit I don't do that as often as I could, I need to get better in that! 

Sometimes I also just happen find nice tunes from the books, usually as a side product of this kind of specific search. I keep those in my idea bank and when needed, they might end up to my or my bands' repertoires! 

A part of my home library of folk music collections.

T H U R S D A Y
Thursday I did not feel fabulous. I had no motivation to work so I decided to do all the things I least wanted to do on my to-do list. I started with writing a funding application for a project I'm working at. In Finland we have a very good art funding system, both by the state and by individual foundations, so sometimes it's possible to get financial help to get your fabulous projects and work done! I did write the application and sent it out. I moved on to another application for the same project but slightly different topic. I also got that sent which felt like a miracle – they take so much effort always! After all this I realised I had forgotten to eat lunch and I was starving. That happens to me like always when I work from home. I mean, how hard can it be to keep your eating routines rolling? After eating I got a couple of more to-do tasks done so I decided to quit and go out to the town, just to move a bit more than between the stove and the kitchen table.
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Some days you don't feel absolutely fab when you need to take care of your own effectivity.

F R I D A Y 
Today I had a lunch out with a friend (helps to remember to eat). I planed my teaching for this weekend and a bit more. I got some art on the wall of my music room – FINALLY, after two and half years living in this apartment. 
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T H E  W E E K 
It was a very average week at home. Not very fab but also not horrible. I got a lot done but didn't feel that great. Sometimes when you work alone from home it makes you not see the amount of all the work you do and you don't get the kick out of it. And then again some days you do and that's great. I love working from home and often don't want to leave the house if I have the possibility of staying. Sometimes it's just a bit boring not to share things with colleagues. 

But instead it's great that I got to share it with you now, even if it was not the most memorable and fantastic week ever! Thanks for reading and taking part to my week at home! 

Then again the next week will be something totally different. I'm heading out to Norway to tour with the Nordic harmonium project Marja-Liisa Orgelsuite! I'm looking so much forward to be on the road again! 

Have a lovely weekend folks and don't you worry if you didn't have a fabulous week – neither did I! :*

PS. Besides the actual work I've done I've been trying to tidy the apartment and get the interior design of the music room finally done. That project is taking surprisingly much space in my head as well. But I'm getting there slowly, wish me luck! Pictures coming soooon!
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Some days you feel like a boss lady and can share it with your colleagues. Posing with my melodeon mate Hugh.