Mathea-Mari Glittenberg (13) MGPjr with the song "#online". We spoke to the young talent about songwriting.
/ 14/11/2014 / Janne SieversMGPjr winner Mathea-Mari Glittenberg (13) has always been fascinated by singing. But she would much rather sing her own songs than other people's, so she had to learn songwriting. It has already led to significant media exposure, several public performances, co-writing and a sync deal for the upcoming film about Karsten and Petra.
Text: Kai Lofthus
It's as easy as plotting her name on the radar right away. Mathea-Mari has already topped the iTunes singles chart in Norway, and with everything that has happened in the last couple of years, she has all the makings to become one of the country's most popular singers. According to her father, Jens-Petter Glittenberg, she knew 30 songs when she was two years old and used to come up with her own melodies that she sang to before she fell asleep. As she grew up, uniquely without parents with a musical background, she was aware that singing was what she wanted to work with. She was able to develop herself in vocal courses and in the choir at Fana Kulturhus, and in the talent class at Bergen Kulturskole.
– I have always wanted to sing, Mathea-Mari tells TONO-Magasinet. – That's what I have focused on, and that's what I find fun. There is nothing else I want to work on!
Well-stocked calendar
The interview is done during the autumn holidays, with her father present on loudspeakers who supplements the answers. The level of activity is high: After a few days off, they were to take the night train to Oslo to appear on TV2/God morgen Norge, record a BliMe video, have a concert in Nittedal in the evening, and a few days later perform a song during the Odfjell shipping company's 100th anniversary in the Grieghallen in Bergen. The latter assignment came through Atle Halstensen, who was musically responsible for the Annie show. The assignment was to write lyrics and melody for a song about a child who was at home waiting for her father who worked at sea. She was also recently in the studio with Lars Kilevold to record two songs for the film about Karsten and Petra, which will be released next year.
Self-taught songwriter
Many people can and want to sing, but this natural talent decided early on to create something of his own.
– I thought I had to have songs to sing. I sing cover versions, but there's something special about writing my own songs, so I had to learn that, she says. – It's really fun to write. Some I only have a few pieces of, either just the lyrics or just the melody, and then there are some where I've come quite far.
When asked how she works on the songs, she answers:
– I use my iPhone to write music and lyrics. I sit at the piano and record what I play and write the lyrics in the notes on my phone.
But has she also worked in other ways?
– No, that's how it has become, she says.
A lot of back and forth
When composing "#online", the melody came first.
– I had a melody and started with it. Then a verse, which I ended up not using. I sat at the piano and strummed and things came out that I thought sounded cool. I thought I could probably use that for something. It started with the song being a little quiet, but then it got a little too quiet, and then I picked up the tempo a little. – There was a lot of back and forth, says Mathea-Mari. She also learns sheet music, but doesn't write songs that way yet.
Papa Glittenberg adds:
– It's very special for her mother and me. Neither of us are musicians, and we were the only ones at MGPjr who didn't have a musical background. She figured this out herself, and we saw the gift and interest she has, and helped to facilitate it for her so that she could develop it.
I don't listen to music much.
Otherwise, the sources of inspiration are not what one would think when it comes to young talents today. Many people tend to have one or more idols that they emulate, and want to conquer the world with an expression that rarely leaves a mark. Mathea-Mari goes her own way:
– I don't actually listen to music that much. I try to take the time to do it. I don't really have any favorite artists or songwriters. But I like songs written by singer-songwriters the most. It's more exciting with those who have written the music themselves. It's more personal and there's more to those songs.
Wimp: https://play.wimpmusic.com/album/32975466
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/6Qhn22tuohdHjRxCvMiZeV
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatheaMari
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AN-FwAOZ1w