Norwegian teacher receives global response for playing Nirvana

In December 2015 the newspaper «Lofoten» reported that local teacher Tom Nedrebø had received one million views from his own YouTube channel, «Tomnedreb».

He publishes videos playing the guitar to music by the American rock band Nirvana. Regularly he receives comments from listeners in Australia, the US and Brazil.

– Positive feedback 

– How did it all start?

– Almost by accident, one day in autumn 2011. I had a camcorder and a personal computer, and all of a sudden it struck my mind: «I play just as well as those guys!»

Fairly soon, Tom observed that sound as well as picture was of rather poor quality.

– Still, the response was great. «Make some more », my listeners said.

He thinks the growing interest can be explained by the fact that he has developed his skills.

– My guitar technique, the sound and the light, everything has improved.

His ambition is to play everything Nirvana has released, a hundred and thirty something songs. He has already recorded over one hundred of Nirvana’s songs.

– I get lots of positive feedback, e.g. "Thank you so much! I learned a lot from this."

Attracting a listening audience takes time. You need to communicate, share, Tom explains.

A video teacher

– I consider myself a kind of teacher on the YouTube channel, too. I present the guitar playing technique, the chords, the meter and the dynamics.

In the video subtitles Tom relates rock music highlights from the recent past, and he describes various techniques and equipment.

A high school teacher and a single father of two, Tom has not much time to spend on his pastime.

– The song most recently published I taped in November.

– Do you ever wish you played in a band yourself?

– Sure, but it’s kind of difficult to find the time, or the right people. Once in a while, I have replaced regular members. I really enjoy playing with others. It might happen, eventually, Tom says.

– Does YouTube charge any money for publishing videos?

– No, that is free, but my hobby doesn’t make me any money, either. YouTube gets the right to my videos, just as Facebook gets the rights to photos you publish there.

Occasionally, ads are displayed during the viewing.

Universal Music Group insert ads into the videos, since Universal are copyright holders of the background music he plays to.

Nirvana was Tom’s guitar teacher

If everyone was like Tom Nedrebø, music teachers would become superfluous. He is entirely self-taught.

– I have never learnt to read music, but as a 17-year-old, in 1991, I listened a lot to Nirvana’s music. After a while I started watching videos, studying their music and style. I spent a lot of time replaying and fast-forwarding Kurt Cobain’s play, and then I would imitate his work.

Nedrebø does not work as a music teacher, but from time to time he plays the guitar in class.

– Whenever the kids in a new class discover my channel, I hear comments like: "It’s crazy seeing a teacher doing that".

Translated by Ståle Johnsen.

Here are some of his videos: