– And seeing two others change roles –

This past month we have had some changes in the teams both in Norway and South Africa. Some have said goodbye to their previous roles and moved back to their home countries, whilst four new participants have joined the project.

Fredrik Haga has concluded his 18 months of work in the Pulse project in Johannesburg, and is now back in Norway, doing his follow up tasks for the Norwegian Band Federation. Same goes for Paseka Samson Batseghi, who is back with Field Band Foundation after two years in Norway.

Fredrik said goodbye to the office in South Africa by making Norwegian waffles served with brown cheese, sour cream and jam, a real treat for his colleagues.

He’s set the bar quite high for the two new participants here in Johannesburg, but they seem to be up to the task. Please welcome Mona and Rose!

Mona Kristine Østenstad Sanner

Mona is a 27 year old clarinet player from Asker, Norway – right outside of Oslo. She started playing in her local school band when she was 7 years old, and has kept her love for wind bands ever since.

She has a bachelor’s degree from Barratt Due music institute in classical clarinet, and continuing studies of Edu­ca­tion­al The­ory and Prac­tice from the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH). Parallel with her studies she worked as a woodwind instructor in multiple wind bands in and around Oslo. After her studies she has continued with this career path, both as a clarinet instructor and conductor.

Mona’s first meeting with Field Band Foundation was when she was studying at Toneheim Folkehøgskole in 2015. In later years she has also been fortunate enough to work with the Pulse team in Norway. All of this has inspired her to take the leap and go on exchange.

“I very much look forward to spending the next year in Johannesburg! I think the Pulse program is a good opportunity to learn a lot of new things, both professionally and personally. I have really loved working with the teams that have come from SA to Norway, so I think this year is going to be good.“

Rose Øvretveit

Rose is a 24 year old musician and journalist from Sande, Sunnfjord. She started playing in her local school band at the age of nine, and was very decided she wanted to play the trombone, as she thought it was a very cool instrument. She later switched to bass trombone, and got her bachelors in music performance from the Grieg Academy in 2023.

During her studies she played with Bergen Filharmoniske Ungdomsorkester, Ung Filharmoni, studied a year at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and picked up the accordion as a secondary instrument.

Rose has also had a career as a journalist alongside music, and has worked in newspapers since she was 17 years old. She spent four years working holidays and part time in her local newspaper Firda, before she started in Bergens Tidende on a part time contract two years ago. In the year and a half since she finished her bachelor she has worked as a freelance musician and a freelance journalist.

“I hope I can use both of my skill sets to contribute to the work PULSE and the Field Band Foundation is doing. I am incredibly thankful to have been given this opportunity, and am so excited to learn more about banding culture and the different south african cultures.”

Together with Siri and Marita, Rose and Mona will make up the new PULSE-team in Johannesburg.

The north participants had a chance to meet the two south participants, Gift and Phenyo, before they got on a plane to Oslo. Gift has lived in Norway before, as a participant in Toneheim Folkehøgskoles exchange project, whilst this is the first time abroad for Phenyo.

Lehlohonolo Gift Kirby Monageng

Lehlohonolo Gift Kirby Monageng is a 30 year old euphonium player. He was born and raised in the city Kimberley, situated centrally in South Africa. Gift started playing trumpet in a church band at the age of 9, and in the same year he joined the Field Band Foundation. Today he is mainly a euphonium player, but describes himself as an all rounder on brass instruments.

He looks back on many fond memories as a player in his home towns band, but one of his favorite moments was playing with the Field Band Foundation at the opening and closing of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

After many years as a player, he was selected for tutor in training in 2014, and just one month later he was promoted to tutor. The same year, Gift was chosen to march with Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps in the United States.

In 2022 he joined the Music Makes a Difference program at Toneheim Folkehøgskole, a program where players from Field Band Foundation go to the Folkehøgskole as students for one year. After the Exchange program ended, he got appointed to Band Coordinator in Danielskuil Field Band.

Gift has a Trinity grade 4 on trumpet, and is about to write his ABRSM grade 4 theory exam.

“I applied for the PULSE exchange program because I want to enhance my working skills, gain more knowledge, experience the working environment in a foreign country, learn the language (which is quite hard but fun at the same time), and also grow individually. I also want to improve my musical skills like playing in NM Janitsjar, celebrate traditional custom, experience international cuisines and know more about the country’s history.”

Phenyo Kenneth Block

26 year old Phenyo Kenneth Block was born and raised in Kuruman in the Northern Cape province. Phenyo’s journey with music began in 2012 when he joined the Kuruman Field Band as a 14-year-old trumpet player.

Just one year later, in 2013, he was selected as a Tutor in Training, leading the brass section. Four years later he became a certified brass tutor, sharing his knowledge with others.

Phenyo has taken part in the Tutors Program Workshops led by the education department, refining his skills in music theory, music practicals, teaching skills, and life skills. He has achieved distinction in his trumpet Grade 3 music practicals and is currently studying for his Grade 4 ABRSM music theory.

Phenyo’s experience spans working with various field bands, including Kuruman Field Band, Petrusville Field Band, and Birchleigh Field Band. One of his most rewarding experiences was working with Con Amore School, which caters to children with diverse disabilities. He had to adapt his teaching, and found the work very fulfilling.

“Passionate about personal growth and cultural harmony, I’m a music enthusiast dedicated to enhancing my maturity, self-respect, and social skills. I believe that music has the power to unite people across cultures, and I’m eager to experience the joy of playing music with diverse individuals. Through this journey, I aim to increase my sense of cohesion, improve my leadership capacity, and become a more responsible and empathetic individual. I’m committed to embracing inclusivity, learning from different cultures, and growing both personally and musically.“