The minister's speech

Principal, staff, everyone at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and most importantly, dear students.

Today, something significant is happening. It is the grand opening of the academic year. These days in August are without a doubt my favourite days as the Minister of Research and Higher Education. It’s like New Year's Eve, May 17th, and a birthday all at the same time.

For higher education is nothing without students. The students are our past, our present, and our future. And those of you gathered here today, you are the future of music.

The past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a number of new students around Oslo. Future teachers, nurses, economists, journalists, engineers, social scientists, among others.

And now I have the privilege of wrapping up the festivities here with you. It’s a great joy.

Some of you gathered here today have just begun your lives as students—others are continuing with a master’s degree.

No matter who you are or what you’re about to do, the studies you are about to embark on are very important—not only for you as individuals but also for Norway as a society.

We live in a time with many major societal challenges. I imagine many of you feel it when you open the news online. We live in a more uncertain world, with increasing conflict, climate change, and a society with more elderly and fewer young people. This means we need to rethink the entire way we run our society.

For Norway to meet all these challenges, we need all those professions I just mentioned.

But we also need musicians. We really do.

Because as musicians—and as artists—you can do something that others might find more difficult: reaching people. Touching them in their lives where they are. Making a genuine impact.

In the heaviest moments of life, music can be what keeps people going. Music can move mountains.

Music is celebration. It is art, therapy, science. But it is also criticism, it is dissonance, it is everything that contributes to a society in motion and that manages to renew itself.

Not least, music is community. That’s a word I love to talk about.

One of the best things about Norway is that higher education is funded by the community. This way, everyone should have the opportunity to get an education—regardless of who you are or where you come from. Some reach far enough to follow their dreams, like those of you sitting here.

Since 1973, we have finally had a public music academy. It was well-deserved.

Because just as music creates community, the community should help finance some of our best future musicians. Your success matters. Not just for you, but also for Norway as a society.

Tomorrow's musicians, composers, conductors, and music therapists. We find them here. And Norway needs you.

Dear everyone, community is something we need throughout our entire lives—not least as students.

Being a student can be absolutely fantastic—but it can also be tough. Many move away from home for the first time and have to build their own lives. You might need some time to find your path. But I promise you, it’s worth it.

Another thing I can promise you is that you can’t do everything on your own. So be a friend, get involved in something you believe in. It could be a band, but it could also be a floorball team or a nonprofit organization fighting for a better world. To borrow the words of our dear and sadly departed public advisor, Per Fugelli: "Don’t be a one-digit number on this earth. Care about your flock."

Sometimes the flock may be small, but it can also stretch across regions and borders. That is certainly the case here at the Norwegian Academy of Music. And that’s one of the things that makes it so special.

With that, I wish you all the best with the start of your studies and the journey ahead. Thank you!