We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Johanna Telander. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Johanna below.
Johanna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
The most meaningful project and a pivotal chapter of my career has been the creation of “Kalevala the Musical”, my debut as a composer and lyricist for large-scale works. The musical stands as the cornerstone of my artistic journey from singer-songwriter to dramatic storyteller. Since its inception in 2017, this theatrical endeavor has been a catalyst for my personal and professional growth, pushing me to explore the depths of my abilities. It also keeps redefining my artistic identity daily. I started writing the musical when I was a stay at home mom to our two young kids. What started out as a way for me to tell my story to them, turned into me redifining my career, and myself as an artist.
Because of this, the project is truly more to me than a creative pursuit; it’s been a profound exploration of self. It has answered questions about my purpose as an artist, the stories I want to tell, and how my art can make a positive impact on the world. The long inhale of Kalevala the Musical’s creative development over the years has become a testament to the mission I’ve set for myself and the legacy I as an artist aspire to leave for future generations.
On a professional level, “Kalevala the Musical” has solidified my position among peers and propelled me into the heart of the artistic community. Despite being a work in progress, it has garnered attention in the competitive landscape of the NYC theatre world and reached international acclaim, one of its biggest accomplishments being the musical’s original concept album’s making and release. The album was a labor of love, acquiring the talent of over 200 individuals to make. The efforts paid off, as our album has since been in consideration for nominations, and reached wide international acclaim, having been listened to in over 80 countries and having gained thousands of fans in and outside of theatre communities worldwide.
What I’m most proud of however, is how the show has cultivated a grassroots performance community over the years which continues to grow. Navigating this journey, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of art, building connections and resonating with audiences on a profound level, and the people who have woken to hear the whispers of the trees are what has kept me going, even when the going’s gotten tough at times.
I recognize “Kalevala the Musical” as the guiding force and purpose for me to want to write. It has transformed me. It has also brought me closer to my songwriter truth than I ever thought possible. The on-going artistic marathon of this epic magic forest tale will forever serve as an inspiration to keep bringing new ideas to fruition.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Johanna Telander, a composer, lyricist and singer-songwriter. I’m also a published poet and an occasional harpist! I’ve been working in the entertainment business since I was 15, starting as a recording artist for Universal Music. Since then, I’ve performed in a variety of settings, some highlights being: the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, the UN, and the Lincoln Center. I’ve written music for TV, Film, commercials and the stage.
As a musician, my current work is heavily influenced by my singer-songwriter past. I came to the US from Finland to get a degree in jazz voice at Capital University conservatory of music. It was there I was introduced to theatre via a favorite professor. He suggested I follow up my studies with a degree in Musical theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. While there, I also took classes in musical theatre composition.
For several years after graduating, I hustled in New York city, working as a model, promoter, actress, hostess, greeter, brand ambassador, a princess entertainer for kids parties, and in retail.
Two decades wiser, I have come full circle, back to my songwriter roots, where I feel most at home. My work certainly reflects that. Having worked as a performer in different spectrums of music, in nightclubs, bars, cafes, on stage, I draw from the versatility of all of the experiences I’ve had. My teen pop artist days have influenced the hooks I write, and my later years following academic careers in jazz and musical theatre have added complexity and layers to both form and lyrics. The songs of Kalevala Musical are inspired by my Finnish heritage.
Style wise, I heavily draw on sounds from Celtic and Nordic music worlds. I relish in including harmonics found outside of the norm of the academic music theory usually taught in school. This sets my music apart from others. Furthermore, I love studying languages. I speak Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, English, and some French and German, and use the phonetic sounds of these languages in my vocal music. Inspired by fantasy and nature, I look for gateways in the real world where fantasy and nature can meet.
Follow me on the socials to find out about my current projects and how you can support my work!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think one of the things that might be difficult for non-creatives to understand is the time and effort it takes to fully be creative, and the scope of work that certain endeavors truly require to be completed. Months can be occupied composing a full score, or even to write a simple song. It is a gift to be sure, to be able to write music, but it does not mean it’s effortless, nor that it always comes together easily. It takes a massive amount of poetic intuitiveness, patience, resilience and a dash of devil-may-care madness to make something out of nothing. And while we may love what we do, we don’t ever diminish the scope of our work to describe it as “fun”. I would liken this to asking a doctor with a lifelong passion for healing their patients whether they have fun doing their work. A career doing what we love is an incredible blessing, but it likely did not come without heavy sacrifice and will always pose many a challenge to keep going, growing and thriving at what we do. The guarantee of an income relies on the health of our pen. And the health of our pen relies on the steady exercise of our imaginations. This – to many non-creatives may look like “idle” time, when in fact we require the quiet, non busy moments to fully engage with our thoughts, and to be ready to receive the inspiration for us to create. As a matter of fact, when it looks like we are doing nothing, that’s when we are likely actually most actively coming up with our next works of art!
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I wish society would fairly compensate an artist’s work, large and small. My experience hustling in the city for two decade shows that while I was a successful performer, I still had to rely on many survival jobs to make ends meet. A performance may pay $200, but when divided by the cost of transportation, rehearsal, and time, the pay often reflects less than minimum wage. Music streaming platforms hardly pay an artist fairly even after a 100 000 streams for what the track cost to make in time, talent and effort. Society could support artists by subscribing to their channels, and by paying directly for downloads. Going to shows is always the best way to support an artist if they tour or perform live. You consume the art that we make the and way you consume food. Our art surely is worth the price of an orange a week? A cup of coffee or Starbucks latte? Society as a whole could do well to consider how artists used to be compensated before streaming took over, before labels, before LPs, or even before the first radio music perfomance. Artists had patrons who kept them fed in exchange for benefiting from their products and content. The same concept is around now through sites like patreon. The use of sites like these directly supports the artist and this is a good way to keep working towards a more thriving creative ecosystem.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://johannatelander.com
- Instagram: @telanderjohanna
- Facebook: @johannatelander
- Linkedin: @johannatelander
- Twitter: @telanderjohanna
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCVpwcIeq-Ro_-qxUrolX8dA?si=K8RQCfC4Mb0ge0yU
Image Credits
Rachel Monte Mardochee Lavalas