Malin and Adam are the songwriters behind "We are" – a tribute song to Kalmar
When Kalmar was named Student City of the Year in 2023, the municipality wanted to honour the city with a song. The task was assigned to students on the singer-songwriter course at Linnaeus University.
Malin Törnqvist’s and Adam Butler's song "We are" was the song that was chosen to represent Kalmar. Malin describes the feeling when they received the news.
"It was great fun and a confidence boost. It was a very enjoyable task and, of course, it's extra special when you receive such positive feedback. We were truly happy that Kalmar municipality chose our song".
Malin and Adam had previously written music together as part of their studies, which made the work on the song progress quickly.
"Adam had an idea for a chord progression. I had an idea that it should be catchy, to make it easy for people to sing along. After we finished writing the lyrics, we came up with the melody, and then it was just a matter of recording it in the studio", Malin continues.
They also had a shared vision of the feeling they wanted the song to convey to the listener.
"We wanted to convey what it feels like to be a student. Being new in a city, finding new friends, finding oneself, but also the feeling that we, the students, are the future", Malin explains.
When asked about what they believe distinguishes a good student city, Malin responds.
"It's about having a wonderful atmosphere and good nightlife, but also a cozy and homely feeling".
Both of them believe that collaboration within the music education programmes at Linnaeus University as well as with external clients is important.
"We are each other's future colleagues, which means it's important to start establishing contacts and help each other even now. When you've finished studying, it's also important to know what opportunities you have if you want to work with music", Malin continues.
Malin, who has completed the singer-songwriter course, shares that she has grown in several ways.
"It's been really enjoyable! If I could, I would take the course again! Over this year, I've not only developed in music but also personally, which is very exciting", Malin concludes.