Sonia Sahlström played a recording for us in nyckelharpa/fiddle class of Eric Sahlström on the radio where he was talking with someone and playing in an impromptu way as he would at home. His conversation with full of laughter and fun, and his music was very playful and fast and brilliant. He even played “Somewhere over the rainbow”!

Sonia Sahlström also described to us how there was a steady stream of fiddlers and nyckelharpa players coming to the house to play with her father. They all loved to play with him, as he was very kind and made them feel very good about it. Some people who are great technical musicians make those around them feel that they never want to play again by comparison. But Eric Sahlström was very kind and he made those playing with him feel good about playing too. He made it fun, with a philosophy and practice of laughing at mistakes and then you go on.

It was very inspiring and I think his daughter Sonia Sahlström embodies those characteristics too.

photo of Eric Sahlström