About Gudrun
I was born and raised in Sweden and studied French, English, and German at the universities of Stockholm and Lund, then worked for the Gothenburg school district in adult education as a teacher of English and French. In 1981, I left Sweden and moved to the San Francisco area, where I worked as a student services coordinator for San Francisco State University, and later collaborated on the development of a software program for visually impaired computer users. For several years, I worked as a counselor/teacher for the California State Department of Rehabilitation and also began translating on a free-lance basis in 1985. In 1999, I moved to Twisp, Washington, located in the beautiful Methow Valley, where I have served as a translator and editor, telephone interpreter, and as an assessor of trainees during role plays for marketing scenarios; and my customers include companies in Europe, Japan, and the United States. I have worked as a voice-over artist and producer, soundscape designer for local theater groups, and as a local radio show host and producer.
A variety of teachers and coaches have provided excellent vocal instruction, which I strive to pass on to my students. As a performer, I have combined my interest in musical arrangements, singing, and translation by rendering songs from my native Swedish into English. Between 2002 and 2010, I worked as project coordinator for Cascadia, a nonprofit organization with a mission to further music education, performance, and participation in the valley. I have taught voice to several music students in the Methow Valley and is now offering vocal instruction via zoom. My partner, Rob, a graphics designer and former restaurateur, and I, have produced radio shows and promotional ads, audio CDs with photos and annotations, and been in charge of menu planning and food preparation associated with fundraising events for local organizations, such as the Twisp Interpretive Center, Cascadia, and The Confluence art gallery.
Our offices sport a treated, fully equipped booth for audiobook narration in our sound recording studio, where we also create sound effects, edit recordings of local music events, produce radio shows, as well as demo/audition CDs for music students, etc.
On October 7, 2011, I celebrated my first CD album, J – Walking, with a release party for the entire neighborhood. The CD features a variety of genres—a ghostly ballad, two madrigals, art songs, a Ukrainian folk song, a sea shanty spoof, plus a heartfelt depiction of the harsh life of a homeless street musician. Selections are performed in French, German, Russian, Swedish, and English. Two of the songs are original compositions. Click here to learn more about the CD, listen to some sample clips, and purchase it.
In February 2014, my English translation of Swedish writer Vilhelm Moberg's “Brudarnas källa,” “The Brides of Midsummer,” was published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Vilhelm Moberg is one of Sweden's foremost authors. In the book, four village musicians tell the story, each narrator taking us further and further back in time--starting in the 1930's, to the plague era of 1711, to the unrest of 1543, and finally to an important prehistoric ceremony honoring the mighty godhead of fertility. One central theme throughout the novel is the spring--always running north, never running dry--who knows all, condemns nothing and favors no one. Hear the tale of each narrator and his true love, learn what it means to be a bride of midsummer (or Saint John's night); slowly discover how the spring acquires its healing power.
Gudrun's Contact Information and Resume
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