“It has been my great pleasure to work as Composer in Residence for The Norrbotten Big Band this year. During four visits to Luleå I have brought in new music and we have rehearsed, experimented, tried out and tested ideas, gotten to know each other. For me it has been a fantastic experience, a process that has enriched me in various ways as a composer and musician. Apart from having gained experience and learned various technical skills, the most surprising thing I discovered was that it could be a challenge to get the individual musician to take off the ‘big band hat’ which they usually take on when they sit down in a big band. While there is a use or these ‘hats’ or for ‘standard big band musician practices’; I find that in creative music, there is easily room for more individual responsibility and approach. I have tried to make room for that, and it is my hope that a little bit of this shines through in the music we are presenting at this CD release. It is a constant goal for me to present my music as ‘complete’ and fully rounded in terms of idea, musical balance and presentation. Whether on album level or individual song level, I attempt to create a balanced composition with a sense of purpose that conveys an overall emotional message.” – Anne Mette Iversen