Music producer, musician, teacher and entrepreneur

What is your background, where did you grow up?

“I grew up in Åmotfors in Eda municipality, but I now live in Arvika. I started playing drums when I was 2 years old and took drum lessons at the School of Culture from the age of 8. When I turned 9, I began playing piano and took lessons in both piano and drums until I graduated. I’ve been writing songs for as long as I can remember, and throughout my childhood I learned a lot from my father, who is a sound technician, about how recording, mixing, producing, and so on works.
My grandfather was one of the founders of Vikingarna, then known as The Wikings, and my mother plays piano, accordion, and more. My father was also a dance‑band bass player and played a lot when I was growing up. So you could definitely say I come from a family of musicians, and I’m extremely grateful for that.”

Which schools did you attend before studying at Ingesund?

“I skipped 6th grade in elementary school because I wanted to start directly at the upper‑level arts school in Arvika. So I attended both lower and upper secondary school — Stage & Perform — at Estetiska Skolan, and then went straight to Ingesund after graduating in 2019.”

Which instruments do you play?

“My main instruments are drums, piano, and vocals, but I can also play a bit of bass and guitar.”

You play metal — has your heart always been drawn to hard rock?

“I don’t actually play very much metal, but more melodic rock (AOR/80s rock), and that’s something I’ve always been interested in and loved since childhood, when I started my first band EXLO (then LILL) at the age of 9.”

Do you write your own music?

“I write a lot of different kinds of music. I’m somewhat of an omnivore when it comes to music, which is why I’ve created many different types of music.
The music I make ranges from hard rock to musical theatre and everything in between.”

Was it an obvious choice for you to choose the Music Production Programme?

“Yes, it really was. I studied music production as a course throughout all three years of upper secondary school, and even before that I had been working in my home studio recording with my dad while growing up. So production, recording, and songwriting have been with me since I was a child, but I wanted to learn more and get better at it — which is why I applied to the Music Production Programme.”

The music industry can be tough and challenging. What should an aspiring producer keep in mind? Do you need to be as interested in marketing yourself as you are in music?

“Absolutely, it's an incredibly important part of being visible and reaching out. Getting work as a music producer requires a lot of marketing, collaborating with others, and taking every opportunity you get. I actually spend a bit too little time on marketing specifically for the production side, but much of that is because my studio, which I’m currently building, isn’t finished yet. I want to be able to say yes to all kinds of different jobs once I start promoting myself more.”

”Many people say that the best approach is to focus on one thing that becomes ‘your thing,’ but I’ve always thought that the more doors I keep open, the more opportunities for work I’ll have — and that has absolutely been true. Varied and incredibly fun. If you have something within production that you truly feel is the only thing you want to work with, then of course you can strive to become the best at it. But in my case, all the different aspects have interested me, and that’s why I enjoy having the ability to say yes to different types of jobs.”

Why did you choose to study at Ingesund School of Music?

“I wanted to study at Ingesund because I knew it was a great university for music studies. When we studied music production in upper secondary school, we also visited Ingesund for music production classes, so I knew the facilities well and knew what to expect.”

Did you feel prepared for entering the job market and music industry after graduating?

“Yes, I really did. Throughout my entire time studying, I also worked outside school — among other things as a drum teacher at the School of Culture in Årjäng — and I was gigging a lot around Sweden and Norway, so I always had work. But after completing my studies, I feel a different level of confidence in music production, which allows me to take on more producer jobs.

I also learned more about marketing during my studies, and in the Specialisation Project course I created a blueprint for my studio — I chose acoustics — which helped me enormously with planning the studio build. I’m also now working after graduation at Estetiska Skolan’s upper secondary programme Stage & Perform, where I’m responsible for the music production course, which is super fun!”

Is there anything you were not satisfied with during your education?

“No, I was satisfied with my education.”

What does the market for rock look like?

“The rock market is large, especially the AOR/80s rock that I primarily write and play. There are many festivals and a lot of music to be written and released, with the focus always on albums rather than singles — which means there’s a lot of songwriting. At the same time, competition is tough, as in all genres in the music industry, so you need to work hard to cut through the noise.”

You’ve built your own studio. Do you now run your own business? Do you work both as a musician and as a producer?

“I’m still in the process of building my studio and hope to finish it within a year. It’s taken time because we are renovating the entire studio ourselves while working other jobs on the side. I’ve run my own business, Waljestal Music, since 2016 when I was 15. I work as an artist, musician, producer, songwriter, and part‑time teacher in music production, ensemble, and drums. I have worked with several individual artists”.

Do you only work on your own (rock) productions, or can anyone book you for recording?

“Anyone can book me for recording, but at the moment I’m not taking in any bands until the studio is finished. You can follow the studio build on my Instagram @waljestalmusic to stay updated.”

What is your dream production?

“I’m not sure, actually. I just think producing music is fun, so being able to do that as a job is a dream in itself. Of course, I dream of one day working with bigger artists — both in rock and in pop. Another dream I have is to write some film music, and my partner and I are also writing a musical together, which I look forward to finishing someday.

I always have many projects going at once, and I enjoy doing different things rather than getting stuck in one specific box or area. Even though AOR/melodic rock is my foundation, I also make a lot of country for my country/rock/pop duo Will of Steel, I play drums in the dance band Pia Pihlgren’s, and I’m the drummer and lead singer in my band EXLO as well as the drummer in Emotional Fire. So the range is wide, and I never get tired of creating and playing new music.”

What is your best advice for someone who wants to become a music producer?

“Start producing. The very first step is simply to start. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and show what you do. Write a lot of music and learn about the industry. Make contacts and expand your network of musicians and songwriters. Take advice from people who are already in the industry and be humble and kind — it goes a long way.
And of course, I highly recommend applying to the Music Production Programme at Ingesund School of Music, because I personally grew and learned an incredible amount during my three years there.”