Interview of Melissa Bergstrom

1. Q: What was your first memorable moment when music affected your life?

My mother used to have my sister and I "sing" conversations instead of speak them. We would just
make up melodies and sing something like, "What do you want for lunch today?" and I would sing in
response, "Grilled cheese, please." And she would sing back, "what would you like to drink?"
etc, etc. It was playful, memorable, creative, and made me think of music as being something
improvisatory, free, and very powerful in communicating. High notes were for important words
or intense emotions, fast notes were for excitement, etc.

2. At what age did you begin to play an instrument? What did you play? Were
you in Choir?

Besides singing around the house, I mostly concentrated on instruments, particularly the
flute and piano. I began playing piano as soon as I could maneuver my walker over to the piano
(there are pictures!), but began lessons in first grade (though I quit as soon as I could, I hated
piano lessons - but I love playing the piano!). I sang in church youth choirs, camp, and in school
throughout elementary, middle, and high school. I first started studying voice in
high-school.

3. What reason did you choose your instrument?

I decided that singing was my "main gig" in high-school, and decided to be a voice major in
college. I chose singing over piano or flute because of the connection it has with text,
emotion, and communication.

4. Have you played in any orchestras, symphonies or "garage" bands?

I've played jazz flute in several bands, sung in a bluegrass band, conducted many choirs
(church and community groups), and still gig quite a bit with my husband, Sam, a guitar player.

5. What is your most accomplished musical moment?

My senior and honors voice recitals at Augsburg College still stand out as a high point in my solo
voice performance career.

6. Have you won any competitions or awards?

I was selected as an "Emerging Conductor" last year and was honored to conduct the Minnesota
Chorale (the choir that sings with the Minnesota Orchestra). A composition of mine won the
Cincinnati Children's Choir Choral Composition and was performed there in March, so I flew out
there to attend that concert.

7. Where did you attend college? What was your major?

Augsburg College in Minneapolis - Bachelors Degree in Music, Voice Performance Major/Organ
and Flute Performance Minors
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Masters Degree in Music, Choral Conducting

8. At what age did you decide to teach music? Was there any influence behind this decision?

I didn't decide to actually go into teaching until after I graduated from Augsburg. I had
planned to have a part-time church music job and sing. But as I came to absolutely love directing
church choir rehearsals, and not just teaching them the notes and rhythms of the piece, but
actually talking about the composer, why that person wrote this type of music, what was
happening in the world when this piece was written, I got so much energy and joy and fulfillment
out of that role, I decided to pursue conducting and teaching rather than performing as the
primary focus of my career.

9. How long have you been at ARCC?

This is my 8th year.

10. What is your favorite part about your job?

Making music - especially "old" or "classical" music - relevant to people's lives. Watching or
reading about a student's reaction to the first time hearing Samuel Barber's ADAGIO FOR
STRINGS or their first orchestra concert or seeing and hearing the thrill of a choir performing
Handel's HALLELUJAH CHORUS with a professional orchestra - nothing better then that!

11. Do you still play any instrument?

I do still sing, play flute, organ, piano, and a little bit of tuba for fun (that's what I played in
high school and college band).

12. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

Most everything - INCLUDING country and rap (which seem to be the two people make exceptions for
when they answer this question). Honestly, I am hungry to hear what others are creating in any
style or genre. It is all interesting and all communicates something about life. I do tend to
find myself listening to choral music because of my career but also some off-the-wall
comedian-musician groups like Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, etc.

13. What does music mean to you? How does it affect your life?

Music is so much a part of my life, it feels like eating or sleeping. When my son died in 2006, I went
for months without touching my piano and that separation between my daily life and music, my
inability to play or sing reflected the emptiness I felt in my soul. When I was able to slowly
return to singing , playing, performing, that was an enormous step forward out of grief.

14. Who is your favorite composer? Either classical or modern, or both?

There is absolutely no way I can answer this question! Too many favorites! They are all my
favorites! (Cop-out answer, I know, but it is the truth!)

15. What other hobbies do you have?

Reading non-fiction and being with my husband, Sam (fellow music faculty at ARCC), and 4-month-old son, Finn.


1. My sister played the flute so I'm familiar with the way she performed,
but I've never heard of Jazz-Flute. Can you explain that a little further?

I play a "regular" flute, but I play it in a jazz group, so there are style differences, tone
differences, and definitely a lot of improvisation (notes aren't written down, so you
"spontaneously compose" and make stuff up!).


2. Okay, I asked your favorite musician and you answered like I would have!
So basically, how about a top five or even top ten if you had to break it
down, and why they are your favorite?

Composers on my top five list (and ignoring the usual top five of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn,
Handel, Bach) would definitely be Samuel Barber both for his Adagio for Strings and his songs
for voice and piano, Stephen Sondheim for his work in musical theater, John Dowland the
Renaissance English lute song composer, Benjamin Britten the 20th century English composer
for his gift with writing for voices so colorfully and beautifully, and Egil Hovland the 20th
century Norwegian composer for his challenging but evocative choir compositions that can be
satisfying for a professional choir but attainable by an amateur church choir or college
group.


3.How did you meet your husband? Since you are both musicians I'm interested to hear the story!

My husband and I met in college - first day of class! I slept in and was late to music theory on the
first day of college classes, and he says he fell in love with me when I barged in to the classroom
still in my pajama pants and hair all over the place. Strange but true...



4. Your mother sounds like a very interesting woman to inspire your sister and you to sing to each other. What else did she do to inspire you?

My mom and I are so much alike. She is a musician, working in church music, and we have very similar
personalities, too. We have shared ideas, resources, and helped each other out in our various
jobs immensely. I still perform at her church whenever I go home to visit.

5. Can you elaborate more about your composition(s). How long have you been composing? Where do you get your ideas? What kind of music is it? How much have you composed?

I've been composing since college. I took composition lessons there and in graduate school,
but mostly wrote pieces for people I knew personally. A few of my pieces were performed by
ensembles at Augsburg College, which was quite an honor. The vast majority of my pieces are
vocal works, either solo voice with piano (or guitar), or choir. So all my ideas usually come
from the text I choose. I try to read the text over and over, and I usually scribble all over the
text trying to find patterns or words that jump out at me to highlight in the music. I've composed
quite a bit, actually. When I worked in church music, I would compose quite often for my church
choir and for the organ. Now that I'm teaching I don't have quite as much time, but I'm working on a
set of solo songs for voice and piano right now based on poetry of Ginger Andrews. I'm hoping to
have them ready to enter into a contest by December 1. Those contests aren't really about
winning (though that's nice!), but they serve me well as a deadline so I have more discipline and
follow-through with my composition ideas.