Lynden Music Festival returns Oct. 7-11
When Terhi Miikki-Broersma founded the Lynden Music Festival in 2009 as a self-described “newbie,” it was simply because there was no music festival in town.
This year’s Lynden Music Festival runs Oct. 7-11 in the cafes, restaurants, pubs and other venues in downtown Lynden.
As Miikki-Broersma learned more about the strong families and entrepreneurs in Lynden with Christian values that make a difference here and across the world with their different ministries, she said it was “amazing” to see.
“My faith guides me with everything I do,” she said.
Miikki-Broersma earned a master’s degree in music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, and worked full-time as a cantor-organist there.
She met Doug Broersma in 2002 when his a cappella quartet Studio One went to Finland to sing at a music festival that she was organizing, the Lohi Soito Festival. They married in 2004 in Bellingham.
Music in Lynden
With her experience as a founder of a music festival in her native country, she began to organize a festival in Lynden with the same concept: a “fish soup” with a variety of tastes and genres.
As a bassoonist with the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra as well as a pianist, organist, and accordionist, Miikki-Broersma enjoys a wide range of music, from jazz to swing to pop tunes, bluegrass and what may be her favorite, hymns.
“(Putting a festival together is) like a puzzle, and you just need to have a strong faith that all the performers are meant to come,” she said. “And for me, I get the most joy when I am able to put people and musicians together.”
Miikki-Broersma became good friends with the late Claire VG Thomas, who was a musical inspiration for the Lynden community for years.
For this reason, it was decided to have the festival on or around the birthday of Thomas and the date of her passing.
“And because Claire’s favorite song was Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ we decided to call it the Claire de Lune Lynden Music Festival,” Doug Broersma said.
It’s truly a community event, as volunteers help with everything from logistics to catering to setting up chairs to choosing artists and setting up sound systems.
“We feel that when a community has arts happening and supports the arts, this pulls people together and enhances our humanity in so many ways,” Doug Broersma said.
One of the events Miikki-Broersma put together last spring was a Psalter Hymnal Marathon in Lynden, with performances of 641 hymns featuring the pipe organs at Third Christian Reformed and First Christian Reformed Churches, a throwback to an event she started in Finland.
This year’s Psalter Hymnal Marathon is at 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at Third Christian Reformed Church.
Atlantics keyboardist Paul Klein said that Miikki-Broersma always has a great vision for the direction of the festival. He first played solo piano at the Whiskey Walk — the festival’s annual fundraiser — a few years ago.
“Terhi’s a great musician, ever-ready positive force, warm, loves to laugh, one of my favorite friends, wonderful sense of humor, a collaborator, and is a huge warrior for the arts in Lynden and Whatcom County,” he said.
The festival will feature artists like blues headliner Kevin Burt, ABBA tribute band ABRA Cadabra, guitarist BJ Block, the Nova Antique Players and Miikki-Broersma herself.
“It’s always fun to see her perform because you never know what instrument she will be playing,” said Lynden Mayor Scott Korthuis.
The power of tunes
Doug Broersma said that one of the things that is different from Finland to the United States in the music scene is that in Finland, as well as most European countries, musicians get paid quite well and are usually able to support themselves with their performances. This is much different in the U.S., where musicians generally have another job so they can support themselves.
“This is something that bothers Terhi deeply and it has become a big motivation to put on a festival where the musicians are paid well for their performances,” he said.
To that point, when COVID-19 shut down most public venues in 2020, Miikki-Broersma made a plea when she realized there would be no festival that fall. That year, she encouraged festival-goers to donate to the festival, and all of the proceeds went directly to the musicians.
“The saddest thing is that we are not able to book our favorite musicians and help them to make their living,” she said.
This year, one of the ways the festival is giving back will be at the Night at the Museum event on Oct. 9, when country singer Claudette Sterk will perform — with line-dance lessons — at the Lynden Heritage Museum. Proceeds will go to the museum, which is struggling financially.
“With the variety of music available at the festival, everyone will be able to find an event that meets their fancy,” Korthius said. “Then everyone should stretch themselves to listen to a different genre to broaden their understanding of music or just to see a professional share their talent.”
—By Margaret Bikman