- We simply became curious about how statistics might sound. Would it even be possible to translate data into something more emotionally connected like music ?, asks Elma Jakupovic, brand strategist at Statistics Sweden. 

Compounds population curves

And translating statistics into music is really great. In any case, if you ask Sebastian Bergström, a master's student at the Royal College of Music, who was commissioned to try to compose the population curve, including emigration and immigration from the 19th century until today.  

- It feels like there are a thousand different ways to work with this. We could have thrown the information into a computer program that generates music or sound. But I have chosen to do a human interpretation of the statistics and are influenced by the charts and the dramaturgy in the curves, says Sebastian Bergström to the Culture News.  

"Must think differently"

Certainly, there is a lot of drama in the population statistics: birth, death, escape, expatriates, long lives and so those that became far too short. The excess mortality during the corona pandemic, on the other hand, is not toned down.

Sebastian Bergström's work is still something of an ongoing work that will be part of the master's project at the Royal College of Music and is done in collaboration with a statistician from Statistics Sweden. 

- I am challenged as a composer and must think differently, he says.