Sunken Harbours,
Swing Bridges and
One Date for Your Calendar

Hi everyone,

Greetings from the North Sea!

Picture this: land that can’t decide if it’s sea yet. That’s the Tidal Flats in North Germany — the top edge of the country, where I spent my weekend. Wait for low tide and the water retreats, exposing a muddy, alien world crawling with life. Guided tours will walk you right into it.

The find of the day? A sea grass that grows equally well in salt water or fresh. Two worlds, one plant. (Reminded me of the classical musicians I know who can also improvise — same idea, different instrument.)

A King, an Emperor, and Two Very Big Egos

Here’s a story I can’t resist telling.  
1681. King Christian V of Denmark wants a legacy. So he builds a fortress and naval port near Varel (where I was staying)  — and names it after himself.
Christiansburg. Subtle.

Nobody told his engineers about the mud.
The tidal sands shifted, the harbour silted up almost overnight, and the warships it was built for couldn’t get near it. Thirteen years later, in 1694, the whole thing was abandoned and torn down. Gone.

Modern Varel Harbour now sits right on top of that expensive mistake. Still gorgeous. Still standing where a king’s pride sank into the mud.

Fast forward almost two centuries.

1869. Emperor Wilhelm looks across the bay and thinks: I can do that. Builds his own naval base. Names it — you guessed it — after himself. Wilhelmshaven.
That one stuck. And that’s where we played our concert.

The day before, I ducked away to the seaside village of Dangast for a walk I needed badly. A light drizzle kept everyone else home — which meant I got a parking spot right in the Artists’ Corner, and all the sea air to myself.

The concert — “Through the Ages” — had running commentary from Roman Salyutov, our conductor, pianist, historian, and general mastermind behind the concert. Best line of the night: introducing an early Schoenberg piece as a “homeopathic dose” of 20th-century music. Just enough to feel it. Not enough to hurt.
We’re doing it all again this weekend, in a theatre just outside of Cologne.

Mark your calendar: Saturday, September 12th!
The Meditative Music Making MASTERCLASS is happening –
📍 9 a.m. Pacific (North America)
📍 6 p.m. CET (Central Europe)

If you’ve ever wanted to play with real confidence — the kind that doesn’t shake under pressure, the kind that comes from your body, not just your practice hours — this is where I hand you the whole system. Meditative technique. Body awareness. Guided relaxation. All of it.

Can’t make the live session? Register anyway. I’ll send you the full replay. 😊

And if you want to keep going after the Masterclass, the **Deep Dive** is from October 10th — Dec. 12, 2026.  It includes 6 months of access, replays, scores, audio files, videos and backing tracks, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.  

Warmly,
Nandin Kathleen Baker
· nandinmusic.com

P.S. You can join the September 12th Masterclass from anywhere — replay included. Save your spot here: