So nice to see you here! 🥰 Thanks for being curious about what I’ve been up to!

September has arrived, and for once, I’m not traveling quite as much. At least for this month! In the very last week of August I somehow managed to be in six countries (Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, and Belgium) – that was a little intense! 😅

These travels took me to concerts with Alterne, solo performances with my Nordic Reflections release, and even teaching at a folk music camp in Estonia (Võrumaa Rahvapillilaager) ⭐ The biggest festival I performed at with Alterne was Dranouter Festival in Belgium – 15 years ago, I never would have imagined I’d be playing there! Another unforgettable moment was the cutest folk music festival I have been to: Præsto Fjord Folk Music Festival in Denmark. All of the performers as well as the audience stayed in tents, the whole festival was nourished by a team of volunteering chefs, and the atmosphere was pure magic (there was a stage and dancing area built around a tree - that’s called a dancing tree in Denmark!) ✨ I’m deeply grateful for these opportunities to travel, perform, and meet inspiring colleagues and friends in music! 🎵

The highlight of the month, a dream come true, was seeing one of my favourite bands live: Dreamers’ Circus! 😍 They had a surprise concert at Præsto! In addition, together with Alterne we had a mentoring session with them. I am speechless and so grateful to have worked with Nikolaj, Rune, and Ale — and to see them perform live was just incredible! Thank you, guys! 💛

In September, my focus is on:
✨ planning next months and next year,
✨ composing and practicing the accordion,
✨ booking concerts,
✨ looking for a working space,
✨ brewing loads of different coffees to learn more about coffees,
✨socialising,
✨ and hopefully… taking a few days off '🍁 🍃

🎶 Big news!

I am so honored to be nominated as Musician of the Year at the Estonian Folk Music Awards (Etnokulp)! 🎉

The jury has already selected nominees, and now it’s time for your votes. Your voices together with the jury’s decision will determine the winners. The Best Artist category celebrates musicians who have pushed their limits, grown personally and musically, and brought something fresh and authentic into folk music today.

👉 Vote here: folk.ee/etnokulp2025 - until September 21st!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and other artists! ❤️

☕ A coffee adventure!

Last Sunday I took part in the Finnish AeroPress Championship in Lahti – my very first AeroPress competition – and I placed 2nd! 🥈

The first round was nerve-wracking (a few things went wrong 🙈), but in the last seconds I managed to serve a perfect cup. After that, everything just flowed. There were 21 fantastic participants, each with unique recipes.

For the coffee geeks out there:
My recipe was inverted, 1:12 ratio, 13g coffee to 156g water, 87°C. I poured all the water in at once, stirred NSEW twice, wet the filter, a little swirl at 0:45, put the cap on, flipped, and pressed slowly until 2:00 – with the server in a cooling bath. Ideal serving temperature: 55°C.

The mystery beans? Uganda natural process SL14 & Bourbon 🌟

🎵 Teaching in November

Looking ahead: in November, I’ll be teaching a course at the Espoo Adult Education Institute. Join me to learn beautiful Nordic folk tunes! We’ll dive into melodies and rhythms from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Estonia. Everything will be taught by ear in a warm, collaborative environment.

👉 Open for all instruments, suitable for curious players with some experience.

Sign up here: ilmonet.fi/course/E253363

✨ A beautiful review

I recently received one of the most touching reviews ever, written by Ants Johanson in Muusika magazine (Estonia). Here’s a translated piece:

🌟 “It is high time to stop dismissing accordion jokes... Maimu Jõgeda’s third album Nordic Reflections shows once again that the accordion, this 'pocket orchestra,' offers limitless possibilities to bring musical fantasies to life... Beyond listening to the album, one must experience a live Maimu Jõgeda concert – every nuance, every tiny accordion pull and subtle key change is truly captivating. Jõgeda paints music, mostly with a fine brush, but using a rainbow of colors and shades. Close your eyes and see her music!”

I feel so deeply touched 💖✨ Thank you, Ants, for these beautiful words! 🙏
Read the full review here: ajakirimuusika.ee

🎧 Personal pick from August

Album on repeat during all my flights:
GoGo Penguin – Necessary Fictions.
Perfect travel companion. Highly recommended! ✈️🎵

Thank you for following along on this journey – your support means the world to me!🌍💛 Don’t forget to cast your vote at Etnokulp and hopefully see you soon at concerts!

Take care,
Maimu