My life wouldn’t be what it is today without my fiddle. It has been an important part of me for more than 40 years. It brought me on countless adventures, at home and around the world; from sled dog mushing in the deep valleys of Denali National Park, Alaska, to white beaches in Songkla, in the south of Thailand. Many are the joyful music moments shared with friends at festivals, or at someone's home. Also in the most difficult moments of life my fiddle consoled me and helped me to find new energy to be able to move on.

 

I was born in 1956 in Östersund, and I spent my childhood on the beautiful island Frösön, on lake Storsjön. After a short stay in Linköping for studies I returned to Jämtland in 1983. From 1986 until 2005 I had my home in Köttsjön; a small village in the eastern part of the province. One of my earliest memories of a violin is seeing my grandfather’s fiddle case under the bed in his guest room. He would rarely take the fiddle out and I’m not sure that he ever played on it for me. I can still feel the attraction, and the desire that I had for it; One day I’m going to play the fiddle!

 

My first teacher Gun Rickardsson, whom I met when I was 8, and her husband Arvid guided me with great patience through my first struggling fiddling years. Both came from families with musicians for whom dance music was an important part of the repertoire. With Gun and Arvid I played at all kind of events; It was jamming at their home just for the fun of it, music at weddings, funerals, birthday parties, workshops, concerts, dances, and much much more. Even if I have developed my own style; It’s Gun and Arvid’s delightful and beautiful dance fiddling that has affected me the most.  I’m forever thankful for the great gift that they gave to me.

 

I became the Secretary of “Heimbygdas Spelmansförbund”, the main fiddling association in Jämtland, in the early 1970’s, and for a few years I was also its Chairman. This position gave me the opportunity to meet with many great fiddlers from different parts of the region. I’m telling more about them and their music under the tab “Tradition”. In 1973 I met with three for me very important fiddlers: Ola Jonasson, Lennart Olsson, and Salmo Sahlin, whom were teachers at the summer camp that were to become the first in a row of annual music and dance weeks in Föllinge. They introduced me to “Lapp-Nils” fiddling, a style that I after that pursued to explore.    

 

Dance fiddling has always been dear to me. There is a special joy in the ability to create music and rhythm so that people can and wants to dance to it. I learnt to dance to the old time music myself; and when I play I’m also dancing to the music in my mind. During my high school years I worked as a dance teacher, an activity that I have kept since then. I had the great opportunity to live not far from Göran and Inger Karlholm, researchers and collectors of dances; we were members of the same dance association “Frösögillet” for many years, and from them I have the dance tradition that I treasure. I traveled with them and was a fiddler at many of their workshops.

 

From 1972 and for 20 years, not all consecutive, I was one of the “Jämtland” fiddlers at the annual event “Polskeuppdansningen”. From stage I have seen thousands of dances being performed by wonderful dancers, many of whom today are brilliant teachers. I also participated as a dancer myself. In 1974 I got the bronze medal and I am currently a holder of two “big silver” diplomas. In 1996 I was given the Zorn bronze medal for my fiddling, at Skansen, Stockholm. In 2003 I recorded the album “Heta Polskor” with my friend Mats Andersson from Föllinge.

 

I have traveled the world as a fiddler and dancer. I have performed and been giving classes in France: Paris, Le Mans, and Le Grand Ball D’Europe in Gennetines; In Italy: Torino, Milano, and Grand Bal Trad in Vialfre; In the US: Washington DC, New York, Shepherdstown West Virginia, at Scandia Camp in Mendocino, and at Common Grounds on the Hill in Westminster Maryland.

 

I hope to bring happiness to people with my music and my dancing for many more years.