Almost all Finns know what Juha Tapio turned out to be: a successful musician, performing artist and lyricist. He has sold out many of Finland’s largest venues.
In the beginning of his career, Tapio almost ended up working at a different kind of stage. He graduated as a class teacher from the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Educational Sciences in 2000 and taught for three years at Aarnivalkea School in Tapiola, Espoo.
“There I guided one class from the second grade to the third. Next year I started working as an hourly paid teacher,” Tapio says.
Simultaneously, Tapio was publishing music. Although not mainstream successes, his first records did take him performing across the country.
“In the afternoons, as my last lesson was ending, I already mentally had one foot in the car on the way to the gig. Luckily, the school headmaster was understanding to a young artist like me.”
His breakthrough came in 2003: Tapio released his first hit album beloved by the whole nation entitled Mitä silmät ei nää (‘What the eyes can’t see’). Full-time musicianship took over and Tapio never applied for the permanent teacher position.
Rebellion subdued by a Landola guitar with nylon strings
Music entered Tapio’s life in his early teens. His decade-older cousin had moved away from home leaving behind a guitar, a nylon-strung Landola.
Tapio’s aunt, Maija, said that it should be given to Juha.
“There were times when I genuinely had nothing do, so I started strumming on the guitar that now was languishing in the corner of my room.”
Tapio taught himself the basics of guitar playing from the fretboard diagrams found in a school music textbook. He “forced his fingers into the right positions” on the fretboard.
“I learned a few chords, so that I could strum something while singing. I realised that three chords I’d already learnt could take me quite far.”
The three chords opened up the world of song-writing to Tapio.
Writing songs allowed him to process teenage angst, which, in his opinion, otherwise would probably have erupted as toxic behaviour.
“I had no need for such rebellion as the world of songs was so immersive.”
University gave education and a bass player
The twenty-something young musician mused that you should have a proper profession.
According to Tapio, he has had an immensely good luck with human relationships, Including with teachers. Good and warm experiences of teachers gave rise in him to the idea that working as one himself would be cool.
He applied successfully to study a for class teacher qualification, first at a teacher training institute in Kajaani. Later he transferred to the University of Helsinki to complete his degree. His education has proved useful even though his career path ended up making him into a performer.
“If you want to stay relevant and forward-looking as an artist, you need a curious mind. Learning feeds it.”
Having a wide-ranging education is also useful in writing songs and teacher training gives you knowledge in a wide variety of subjects.
The University life also gave Tapio a bass player for his band. At the University of Helsinki, music was taught to future teachers by the then University Lecturer Pekka Evijärvi.
“When I released my first record in 1999 and went on tour my band was missing a bass player. Pekka played the bass and what’s more he had a large minivan. My music teacher became the bass player of my first live band. In addition, Pekka, of course, also had the keys to the music room at the Department of Teacher Education.
Tapio and his band started to practise there in the evenings. On several occasions late at night they were told to go home by security guards.
Families are not customers of the school
This year, Tapio joined the University of Helsinki’s alumni activities. His rationale was that education is a valuable resource during a complex period of time.
“The world is very different from my own student years. Things that are appreciated are varied and misleadingly taken to be of equal value, as if all information is equal and equally true. Consequently, critical thinking, reliable knowledge, wide-ranging education and in-depth understanding are more important now than maybe ever before.”
This is why we have to speak out for them.
“There is even a silent emergency ongoing regarding the future of our nation as a whole. If there is a way to affect it, I want to try. For example, teachership and education must be seen as having intrinsic value. Children and parents are not customers of the school, who can dictate and demand things. The hierarchy must be reversed.”
Education must not crumble, as the lack of respect for the school world and teachership will eventually result in the collapse of edification or Bildung.
“As a nation, we definitely cannot afford to break down this foundation, even if voices demanding it have gained ground.”
Juha Tapio, what is the breakthrough of your life?
“In 2003 I had started working as an hourly paid teacher. Early in the week I taught physical education and crafts, the rest of the week I was on the road. I had to some extent already distanced myself from the school world but I wanted to hold on to my day job.
The song Mitä silmät ei nää from my eponymous album published the same year was my first hit. In September, I had the opportunity to perform on the Olympic Stadium at a major benefit concert Elämä lapselle (‘life for a child’). It used to be a huge event televised live. I performed my recent hit.
On Monday, I went back to the school. That day I was on recess duty. Pupils lined up to me to ask for my autograph. The change hit me in the face. I realised that in their eyes I no longer had the role of a teacher. They didn’t see me that way.
This mental step quickly led to leaving teachership behind as a part of my own identity. Through the eyes of the pupils, I saw myself in a new light: as a musician.”