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Tickets are flying out the door, which is nice to see. I also want people to know there are many pay-what-you can and/or free events, including all the concerts in St. Paul’s. Of course, we need the income, but I also feel that good, live music should be available for everyone.  

We’ve a great summer planned with a bunch of new stuff - a clarinet and piano recital, jazz musicians (are we cool now?), a cabaret at The Joy Nest, the NCMF salon with music and discussion - and of course all the regular concerts, Nachtmusik, open rehearsals, lectures, children’s storytelling, and world premiere.  

I’d like to introduce our newest board member, Jenny Nelson.  

‍David Yang, Artistic Director

DY: Where did you grow up?

JN: I was born in NYC, then we moved to Copenhagen, Denmark where my father was Creative Director of J. Walter Thompson Advertising agency, and then Stockholm, Sweden.  After that we moved to Lexington, then Philadelphia and finally to Berkeley, CA when I was 16.    

‍DY: How is culture of Scandinavia different from the US?  How do you think it has affected your world view differently than if you had grown up here?

JN: I gained a strong connection to nature living in Sweden, and a vibrant urban experience living in Denmark which included seeing myself, my mother and sister in big ad campaigns splashed across buses, billboards, and magazines.  In Sweden I skied to school, skated on frozen lakes, and played in “skogen” - the woods.  Part of every child’s education over there is learning to forage for mushrooms and berries, but inside the classroom there was an uncomfortable formality and rigidity. I felt like an outsider being “only” half-Swede - my mother is Swedish and my father is American - so moving back to the U.S. in 5th grade was refreshing. My new classmates in the US were diverse and welcoming and the school was educationally progressive.  However, I did miss having that close connection with nature.  

Jenny

DY:  You play violin, yes?  How is it different studying violin as an adult as compared to being a kid? And are there other musicians in your family?

JN: As a kid, I resisted practicing and struggled with proper technique.  As a teen, I joined Girl’s High School Orchestra in Philadelphia. In Berkeley, CA I quit violin altogether during a rebellious phase, to my later regret.  As an adult my focus has been on folk traditions. My solid foundation allows me to enjoy playing.  I even play accompaniment on my son’s recording, “Dovish.” My daughter sings with a Bulgarian Women’s Choir called Yasna Voices, They have performed at the Bulgarian Consulate, New York Public Library, and Lincoln Center.  

‍DY: How did you wind up in Newburyport and how long have you lived here?  

JN: We moved here 29 years ago when my husband was recruited for a job. It is such a wonderful place to raise kids.  

‍DY:  What led you to making pottery?

JN: My interest in making pottery stems from my mother collecting Scandinavian pottery, and having two professional potter cousins.  I worked at a pottery studio in high school and later took some courses.  At Purple Sage Pottery in Merrimack, I caught the pottery bug. I opened a studio space named Rosin + Glaze (Rosin for what you put on the bow and Glaze for what you put on the pot.)  I don’t have a gallery but I am a studio member at Purple Sage Pottery.

DY: You studied English and Art History in college.  What kind of literature and who are some of the artists you are drawn to?

JN: Initially my focus was World Literature: Milan Kundera is a favorite, as is Jane Austen and George Eliot.  I have an interest in Jewish literature, being of Jewish heritage on my father’s side and admire André-Schwarz-Bart. For my minor in Art History my focus was Pre-Raphaelites. I wrote a paper on “The Lady Shalott” by John William Waterhouse using original source material from museum libraries in London.   I only created one copy, written in longhand and I have since lost it.  

DY:  Let’s say you were able to rescue two books on a life raft and bring them with you. And what work of art would you bring to look at if it could be anything regardless of size?

JN: For books, it would be “Delta Wedding,” by Eudora Welty and “Middlemarch” by George Eliot.  For a work of art, the painting Alice Neel did of me when I was three.  She was a close family friend and my parents became champions of her art.

‍DY: What are some of your other interests?

JN: Sustainability, ecology, and animals.  I love the company and companionship of pets and walking my dog is one of my favorite activities.  

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DY: I should ask about the music you listen to since this is connected to a chamber music festival.  What do you listen to at home?

JN: Very eclectic - Bach, Mozart, Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Beck, Bon Iver, David Bowie, Miles Davis, Leonard Cohen, The Beatles, Wings, and Allie, a wonderful up-and-coming indie band from Brooklyn. My favorite classical composer is Haydn; Lennon and McCartney are my favorite non-classical composers.  

I met Ella Fitzgerald when I was seven years old. We were introduced to her by our friends, jazz trumpeter Joe Newman and his wife Rigmor Newman, after a concert.  We sat in the front row and to my delight, as she was singing, Ella looked right at me and smiled. Afterwards we were invited backstage to meet her. We got to shake her hand!

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