master chambers

Erki Pärnoja

master chambers presents
Erki Pärnoja

Erki Pärnoja is an awarded multi-instrumentalist and composer who presents a timeless quality through his music whether in a solo, band, or choir setting. Erki creates musical experiences that immerse people in the beauty of sounds that transcend time and space.

As a musician wanting to express the pure flow of his being, Erki has taken on many interesting projects and we are glad to share his thoughts about music, family, and life.

Erki Pärnoja : Website Instagram Spotify
Photography & Interview : Silver Mikiver

What makes you pursue music?

Music makes me feel alive. I think I can say I am in a place where everything in my life is somehow connected with music, in one way or another — feelings, memories, moments, thoughts, and actions. It is something that I feel a strong pull towards, something that I therefore need to do and follow. I love music and I am grateful that it is my profession, it is such a huge part of my life. Music provides me with everything I need to cope with life and its many currents. My role is to be as open as I can to hear and transcribe the ideas that come to me. Capturing and recording these ideas brings me a lot of joy and fulfillment.

I am working on being more kind to myself. When the ideas don’t come to me right away, I know there is always tomorrow and the day after that. I have been lucky that the projects I am working on allow me to be flexible enough and often there are many projects ongoing at the same time. This allows me to work on the ones I resonate with in the moment.

When I need to force an idea out of myself then there is a great chance that I am wasting my time.

How has your creative expression changed over the years?

When I look back at the previous 20 years of working with music, the biggest difference is in the process. Having listened to a lot of music whether in a live setting or in general has developed my critical mind a lot. As time goes on and as I experience new things, I subconsciously analyze everything I see and hear. I cannot turn it off. However, this critical sense is like a double-edged sword, you can harm yourself as well in the process. I am my worst critic these days and I am very critical when it comes to my music.

The main difference between writing and finishing songs now vs. 20 years ago is that back then I would have released most of the songs that I today call demos or just unfinished songs. I would have said that they were ready back then. But now even when the music is more minimalistic there are more details to consider and think about. Another difference is that I am not that impatient anymore. I want to put more time and care into things because I know it will imprint more of a timeless quality. All of this takes much more time compared to the early days.

How do you balance family and work?

Starting a family was a big change for me and my wife. I am glad I had the chance to take the time to adjust to this new life as a family. It has taken years to adapt to the new life and to understand the rhythm. And it still needs constant adapting since the kids grow so fast. Even though the change was expected (and also needed, I think) it doesn't mean it has been easy or without challenges. Far from it. The nature of my work always presents challenges in terms of how to share my energy and attention so I think it has been beneficial in terms of preparing me as much as possible for raising kids. Yet, you are never prepared for family life until you’re there.

Everyone has to follow their path and do their own thing. For me, it is completely certain and important. I wish to pass it on to my children that if you have a calling or a passion to do something then it is the most sacred thing for you to follow. The time spent away from the family, be it in the studio or performing live, doesn’t feel like a sacrifice at all because I feel we have a balance. The trick (and this is a hard task) is to be present at home when you are home and present in the studio when you are in the studio. The grandparents also help a lot so we are lucky in that way too.

‘‘ There are moments when I have to be strong and say I have to go perform or work in the studio and then there are moments when I need to be strong and understand that I am needed at home with the family. When your family needs you then music is just music.‘‘

The time I can spend with my kind of people brings me the most joy in life. I have realized my social life is mostly tied to my work.

‘‘ Everything needs to flow in order for the music to be great.‘‘

I like to consider the feeling of completing something itself as success.

By this I mean the point when you decide that you have finished your work and that there is nothing to add to it. You could continue working on something forever so accepting that something feels right and ready at this exact moment is a big thing. It has a lot to do with accepting yourself. This is where success starts.

The meaning of a successful life has changed a lot though. When I was touring with Ewert and The Two Dragons 15 years ago I thought the more people cheer and follow us the more successful we are. It meant a lot to me back then and I am grateful that I got to experience this kind of success. Now I view things somewhat differently. I feel that I don’t necessarily need an audience to experience success. At least it is not the only way. In some cases, the only attention or approval I do look for is for example from one single person — for example, a musical partner or a film director. Seeing things like that brings a new perspective to the meaning of success. Also being more patient with life plays a big role — this helps you see success in the small things.

What creates a meaningful life?

For me, things become meaningful when I am fully present, open, and committed to whatever I feel drawn to. What I mean is that we can either approach a situation or perhaps even a conversation relying on our experience only or we can be open-minded and step into every case like it was our first time to experience it. A hard task again, but I like that thought. I mean like being an observer with a fresh pair of eyes. We can do that while still keeping all the knowledge and skills which we have gathered over the years. The difference lies in the openness to the current feeling. I think being there in the moment and having your focus on what is in front of you makes any situation meaningful.

‘‘ We often have the answers but do we trust the way we feel? ‘‘

How would you define mastery?

Mastery is a combination of knowledge, skill, and experience. And it surely doesn’t come without sacrifices. Getting to the point of being a master of your craft takes many years, decades, or more. Mastery is all about the small and fine details that might not be visible or audible to people from another field. It is all about commitment to your craft.

I mean, masters don’t work nine to five and they skip weekends and holidays if they have to. In a way, they do whatever is necessary and what the piece asks of you. Masters therefore definitely have a unique and different workflow.

How to follow the inner voice?

I think this is something I am still struggling to figure out. In a way, I know I just have to follow my intuition but now and then I find myself in situations that come from clearly not listening to my intuition. Me and Anna are happy in the moment but we are constantly moving ahead. In our creative work, we can feel drawn to different directions, and decisions on which way to go from here have to be made constantly.
It is never-ending.

I can say that when you feel passionate about something and you feel drawn to it, you simply have to follow it. I like to think that you even must do that. This is the only road to fulfillment in my opinion. I remember clearly during my high school years, my teachers repeatedly advised me against this uncertain and unstable path. They were right that working with art is all of those things and more but it was so hard for me to explain (even to myself) that I still chose this path. The thought that I would have to sacrifice developing my craft for the sake of stability is scary. This thought frightens me.

Listening to your intuition is a hard thing to do — to trust, follow, and accept it. We often think we know what the right thing to do is but is it based on our intuition? Each time I do trust it I feel like I am stepping into a stream. I feel like I have a purpose, I am moving and I am accomplishing my ideas effortlessly while feeling all of those things. Everything becomes light and the burden of everyday life falls away. I feel inspired. For that feeling, I do what I do. Creating something effortlessly and feeling the fire!

That is what I chase but I understand that clearly, I cannot experience it all the time. There needs to be a balance between the hard work and that effortless feeling. Having too much of one or the other in your life is going to bring you no good.

I think it is one of the rules of life.