Meet Lapinlahti people: Max Zenger
Music is an integral part of the broad art and culture activities in Lapinlahti. In the halls of the main building you might catch sounds of singing and instrument practice sessions, because there are numerous musicians in the building. One of them is jazz musician Max Zenger, who practices and works in Osuuskunta Tilajakamo’s wing, and plays saxophone and woodwinds. He has two bands: Maxxxtet and Max Zenger Globus, both of which he also composes for. Max says they are small bands, and adds that he feels like he best expresses himself especially in small ensembles. Additionally, Max has often played with UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra as a freelancer. He has also been seen performing in Lapinlahti at the Lapinlahti livertää events and the late summer harvest festival. From time to time he has also collaborated with the Lapinlahti community, and Max’s music can be heard in Klaus Welp’s videos, for example. (You can read Klaus Welp’s interview in our January newsletter.)
Currently Max visits Lapinlahti almost every day, but previously the Lapinlahti area was foreign to him, even though he has lived in Töölö and jogged in Hietaniemi. His first visit to the house was in 2018—precisely through music. Previously he studied in Sibelius Academy, but he didn’t want to practice there. One day he arrived in Lapinlahti to practice in the room of a musician friend, and had lunch in restaurant Loop. He remembers being surprised, that a place like Lapinlahti exists, and wanted to join the community. He also needed an office because of the numerous instruments he has, Max adds. Eventually, a space opened up after another musician left, and Max got their room.
Max believes Lapinlahti to be a unique and multicultural place, with cosy surroundings, and where one gets inspired and can be creative. It’s a place that’s simply nice to come to. He comes to Lapinlahti by bike, and says that at Fahlanderin puistokuja he almost says to himself: “Yes, we are here!” Another advantage of Lapinlahti to Max is its location. Even now, Lapinlahti is an obscure place, and many people get surprised when Max tells them where his office is. However, that doesn’t bother him, and Max likes that Lapinlahti has remained a hidden gem. Although the lack of familiarity has sometimes created problems: taxis have trouble finding Lapinlahti when they need to transport instruments to a gig.
Even today, Lapinlahti is a great place, Max says. He hopes that in the future, real estate companies would not come to Lapinlahti. Max remembers the spring of 2020, because at the time he collaborated with Klaus Welp, who was involved in opposing the plans at the time. Another wish for the future Max has is that the role of Lapinlahti would change in his life. Currently, Lapinlahti is mainly a place of work and practice, but it could have more roles in his life—for example, as a place to relax. He is also interested in getting to know the house and its people better, which could create new opportunities for collaboration, among other things. Max would also like it if Lapinlahti park had more art and music in the summer.
Thank you for the interview, Max! You can read more about him and his music on Max Zenger’s instagram page. Max’s music can be heard through Spotify: playlists for Maxxxtet and Globus.