Music and poetry serve as a shortcut to putting feelings and thoughts into words for Trygve Skaug, and there is always one playlist he puts on in the background that pushes him in that direction.
/ 14/08/2023 / Kristian DugstadText by Mathilde Spieler Palmers • The story is taken from musicamplifier.no
– It's about giving back to both the people behind the music and contributing to a diverse and rich cultural life in Norway, he says.
TONO is the "payroll office" for those who write music and lyrics. When one of Skaug's songs is played as background music in public places, such as in a clothing store, the store must pay a TONO license.
The money paid to TONO goes towards "salaries" for those who write the music and lyrics, but also towards scholarship schemes for, among others, young people who write music.
– I have been a member of TONO since I started writing music, over twenty years ago. The rights I have as a songwriter are important to me, both when I create my own music and when I contribute to other people's songs.
– The support through the TONO license constitutes a solid part of my income as an artist. The Norwegian system is extremely good. Without TONO, culture would be pushed into a more commercial direction, and it would be difficult to explore other forms of art.
Understanding and expressing emotions is not always easy. For Trygve Skaug, music provides him with a welcome boost. He has benefited from this boost ever since he was a child and began experimenting with lyrics in music class at school.
Through music, he gets the opportunity to put his feelings into words. When he listens to music or poetry from others, he better understands his own feelings and gains insight into how he really feels.
– For me, music and poetry have a unique ability to influence and change things. It is often linked to special events, or takes on a significant role in retrospect, he says.
Skaug hopes that his lyrics and music can also make a difference for people. That's why he often writes about hope and that things can work out, and is especially aimed at those who are having a tough time in life.
– At the same time, it is important for me to write clear and concrete texts about current events in the world, such as war and conflicts. I like to convey different topics in an accessible way, he points out.
I saw a flash of grenades from a ridge
a broken house that could have been mine
I saw a child running alone.
from a country that should have been free
I saw a sky full of lightning.
I saw a father who looked like me.
I saw a young and brave statesman giving a speech
then it turned black
and then I just saw you
Excerpt from the song "Save": Trygve Skaug has a big heart for people and a unique ability to put into words what many of us find difficult to express. The song "Redd", which is about the war in Ukraine, is an example of just that. (The lyrics are reproduced with permission from the lyricists Trygve Skaug and Andre Vaaler)
Skaug consciously uses music to get into a certain mood, and there is one playlist that helps him with just that.
Trygve Skaug is not idle during the day. He has many irons in the fire and is relevant in several ways. During the summer, he has released two albums. One album, "Barnetro" is a hymn album with his favorite hymns. The other, "Messe underveis", takes listeners through a church service, from the ringing of the church bells to the postludium.
– I have been very excited to share these projects with the public, and am happy to finally be able to release them.
He is also passionate about the refugee cause, and has been working on it for several years. His main focus during the day is the aid project in the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesvos in Greece, where he helps to finance a laundry, among other things.
– There is an acute situation with many refugees in need of help in Moria. Together with Dråpen i Havet, a humanitarian, voluntary organization, we are working to raise funds and raise awareness about this crisis.
Trygve Skaug found greater joy in band practice than in football training. He realized early on that music and poetry were something he was good at and wanted to pursue.
– I've always wanted to communicate. It's been my mantra in recent years to include a line in every song or poem that reminds me that things can get a little better. A bit like a virtual hug to people who aren't doing so well.
As an artist, Skaug lacks the patience to refine songs or poems over several years.
– That's why I have good people around me to produce. I really enjoy getting out what I want to convey. TONO helps create awareness that it costs money to make music.
– We probably won't make back everything we invest in an album, but that's not the main reason we make music either. And that's exactly where TONO comes in and helps.