Recently, I had the great pleasure to conduct an interview with Ralph and Jaana Tuttila, two renowned Finnish American musicians about their efforts to preserve Finnish and Finnish American music and culture. Here’s the interview:
MM:
Ralph. Where did you grow up? What were the Finnish foods, language, culture, or music that formed your affiliation your ethnicity?
RT:
I was born and grew up near Ishpeming in the UP in a rural neighborhood of Finns. Everyone had a small farm but few were self-sustaining. Finnish was spoken when the elders were present. I recall having to sit through Finnish language church on Sundays. I understood little but it’s a comforting memory. Sunday school included neighbor children who spoke only Finnish (until they learned English in school). We had our own language when playing together and got along. Finnish was often spoken when parents did not want the kids to understand what was being said.
Foods that had a Finnish influence were Viilia, Juustoa, Moijakka, Nisu, and more.
Of course we had a sauna! And often had family/friends over on Saturday nights. Most neighbors had saunas.
MM:
Jaana, how about you?
JT:
My father was Swedish. His family immigrated to North Dakota. They were successful farmers with large families. Many of those relatives moved west to Yakima, Washington to work in the orchards.
I discovered my Finnish heritage through DNA testing. My Swedish relatives continue to be befuddled by this revelation! They’ve always been known as Swedes; identified as members of their local church as such but didn’t practice cultural traditions.
When I first heard Finnish music, it was played by Finn Hall in my little town in Washington State. I was spellbound. The music resonated so deeply: it was unlike anything I’d heard before.
I never had the opportunity to dance as it never seemed important. But when Finn Hall played, the mandolin player (Ralph), put down his instrument to dance with audience members. Then he asked me. I confessed I didn’t dance. But with quiet coaching, we danced. It all resonated in a meaningful way.
Discovery concerning my Finnish ancestry, including traditional foods and sauna, followed hearing Finnish music that first time. Finnishness resonates deeply and each new tradition, Finnish tune, Finnish craft, or Finnish pattern dance I study, reinforces a soulful feeling of being Finnish.
MM:
Ralph, how did you become involved with music?
RT:
At age four or five, I picked up one of my mother’s harmonicas and learned to play it on my own. I heard music in Finnish at church, from my Mom who sang and played guitar, and from my uncles’ Finnish records. Most endearing was hearing a neighbor play a two-row accordion and sing old folk songs from his front porch. I also played cornet in my high school’s band.
I joined the Koivun Kaiku Kantele ensemble in the ‘80s. I learned to play the five string kantele and the Jouhikko. Then I learned mandolin. I got involved with the Finn Hall group in the 90’s and joined the Kisarit folk dancers. The Finn Hall musicians: Al Reko, Dennis Halme, and Cheryl Paschke played together for many years as Keskilannen Pelimannit. The late Margaret Norling was their bass player and Oren Tikkanen often played with them. I joined the group and it became Finn Hall. So many memories and fun times. We recorded two CDS and were selected as Performers of the Year in 2000 by Finlandia Foundation National. We traveled to Finland and played at the Kaustinen folk music festival as well as other venues in Finland. Finn Hall no longer performs, though a few of us still perform in Lauluaika.
I play mandolin, harmonica and the two-row accordion with the new group.
My mission is to preserve Finnish and Finnish American folk and dance music; the old music from our grandparents as well as more recent folk tunes. Not many are interested in maintaining this style of music. I grieve its disappearance but play it with passion.
MM:
Jaana, how did you become involved with music?
JT:
My father was very musical. He was a pastor of small country churches. He
played guitar, trumpet, piano, banjo, and accordion. My mother is also musical. Her family is Mennonite, so singing all the parts (from tenor to bass) was important. She taught herself to play piano. My parents often sang together with Mom on the piano or organ. Growing up, my brother and I sang during church services.
I learned piano as a child. But when I moved to Minnesota, Ralph introduced me to the nyckelharpa. Oh what a beautiful sound! It’s organized like a piano keyboard so the fingering makes sense. I bought my first nyckelharpa twelve years ago and have played with the Twin Cities Nyckelharpalag. Nine years ago, Ralph introduced me to the upright bass. I’ve played it with Finn Hall and Lauluaika.
MM:
Talk a bit more about Finn Hall.
JT:
One memorable event was organized by Ralph for the 2012 FinnFest in Tucson, Arizona. Ralph researched the Tohono O’odham (an indigenous people of AZ) and their music. He learned that some of their tunes have the same cadence as music we play for dancing. He connected with Gertie Lopez and the T.O. Boyz from Tucson and brought together the two bands as a cultural exchange to perform at FinnFest. We met one evening and played tune after tune to learn their music and share our music with them.
The FinnFest evening dance arose from that partnership was amazing! There was Finnish music with violins, saxophone, and drum from Gertie’s band; and Gertie’s tunes accompanied by accordions, mandolin, and violin from ours. The Finns danced their jenkka, massurka, polka, and valss dances. Members from the Tohono O’odham Nation danced side by side as they have for generations. It was deeply beautiful to see and hear and that collaboration was the beginning of a long friendship with Gertie.
MM:
Your thoughts about the importance of carrying on traditional Finnish music with younger generations?
JT:
When we play Finnish music and when we dance, there’s a reminder of the resiliency and strength of our extended Finnish family. Our Finnish ancestors have written, sang, and played tunes describing the immigrant experience, the lives of miners, of being in the trenches, of finding their beloved, of betrayal, of shopping in the market, of death, about Karelia, and so on. It’s a shared history set to music that reminds us of who we are.
We Finns have a treasure chest of tunes to console us and remind us of our strength-of our Sisu, the restorative medicine of sauna, and the gift of dance. Sharing this heritage feels as though we’re giving following generations a great gift: one that will last a lifetime.
MM:
It’s no secret that fraternal, service, and ethnic organizations, from Moose Clubs to Scouts to places like the Finnish American Heritage Center and this newspaper struggle to keep folks engaged, donating, and working hard to preserve such organizations.
RT:
The hard truth is that organizations, ethnic and fraternal and cultural, are going away as members die off.
We do our part to preserve Finnish music and culture. We team up with other Nordic groups to hold monthly dance events at the Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis, as well as engage in other efforts to sponsor and hold events. We’ll present some new ideas for the type of dances to use with our music in the Fall of 2025,
JT:
This is something we talk about often. How to do our ‘missionary work’ outside our Finnish community to impact others who, perhaps, aren’t aware of their Finnish heritage? It’s why connecting with the younger generation matters.
We participate in community education programs and teach Finnish dance with members of Kisarit. Lauluaika plays music for these classes. Members of the band teach dance. This series has brought in new community members to Finnish folk music and dance.
Ralph is instrumental in organizing a Jam at FinnFest which brings folks with instruments and voices together to play and sing Finnish music. These events have been successful in teaching one another the traditional tunes, sharing music, and giving everyone a chance to play and learn.
MM:
What did you think of the recent Laskiainen at the Loon Lake Community Center in Minnesota?
RT:
We had a great response! Our concert/ dance was well attended. Everyone had a great time. I was there with Finn Hall eighteen years ago. Although the festival has had Finnish music present on a smaller scale since that event, as far as I know, Finnish music was absent from the main stage until this year. We made many friends!
JT:
The day began with Kisarit performing several Finnish pattern dances. Folks seemed to enjoy seeing how the dances are choreographed. Not only did we play the dance, but we connected with locals and attendees during the festival. Taking the time to visit with and meet folks really matters.
Ralph met and worked with a young Finnish musician, encouraging him, teaching him a few things, and sitting in with him while playing harmonica. One woman observed this and appreciated Ralph’s patience, how he engaged, listened, and encouraged the younger generation. Later on, this young musician came to the dance/concert. After the event, he talked to a couple of band mates about music and dance.
Also, the sound crew was from the area. One of our bandmates met them and helped them. Again, this connection seemed to knit Finns together.
Finally, one of the couples in Kisarit stayed for the informal dance because, as they said, “How could you not?” One of those dancers invited a young down syndrome woman to dance with her: she took the time to teach the young lady. Beautiful.
MM:
I see from the band’s website (https://www.lauluaika.com) folks can find out where you are performing next (including FinnFest 2025). Talk a bit about FinnFests you’ve been part of.
RT:
UP FinnFests are my favorites. But many smaller communities lack the lodging capacity and facilities to host. Duluth seems to work out best.
I feel that at most FinnFests include too much programming. With so much going on, it seems we see less attendance.
JT:
It seems that if the evening dances are scheduled at a time when there’s nothing else on the schedule, the evening concert/dance becomes a time for FinnFest attendees to unwind, reconnect with other festival goers, and enjoy a sense of community. Often, it seems events are scheduled, or layered, over one another. That breaks up the community. There’ve been FinnFests in the past that’ve scheduled evening dances as celebratory events to bring folks together-dancers and non-dancers-to visit, sing along, grab a beverage, and enjoy being Finnish.
MM:
If readers of FAR want to connect with Lauluaika, maybe to book a festival or a dance, what’s the best way for folks to reach you?
RT and JT:
Folks can reach us through our website or via Facebook messaging. Or they can email me, Ralph, at [email protected] .
We’d love to hear from those interested in preserving the culture as well as music and dance. Please also check out our YouTube channel!
(This interview first appeared in the May 2025 edition of The Finnish American Reporter)
(C) 2025 Mark Munger
