The OK Factor

Welp, we forgot to take a photo during rehearsal this morning. 🙃 But here we are! Ready for our happy hour with @yourclassicalmpr at @shopsurdyks TOMORROW (Tuesday) 5/12! Have you RSVPed yet?! We’re bringing some old favorites and a few new tunes, too! We’d love to see you there — this will be the last public show for a few months. 🙌🏻✨ So much love and spring joy to everyone — unless you have allergies, in which case *gesundheit*. And remember to be kind, OK? 🫶🏻, O&K

An Olivia Appreciation Video for her 35TH BIRTHDAY 🎉🙌🏻🥂 As they say in Sweden, “congratulations” on another year around the sun, dear O!! ☀️🍻🙌🏻🥳 Don’t mind me while I refer to you in third person and speak to our audience about how lovely you are — I grabbed footage for this vid from across the years — this girl features prominently in my camera roll, lol. I feel like every time I hit record, I’m trying to capture just a little bit of what life is like with her. No one else (aside from Jonny) gets to see her like I do. There’s so. much. beauty and goodness she brings to the world, to our work, and to her family. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she is the brightest light. Even when she can’t feel it or see it, she’s still shining. It’s my favorite way to describe her because the only thing that outshines her is the *literal* sun, which also happens to be her favorite thing. ☀️🌞🌤️😎 To know her is to love her. And to love her is to have in your life the equivalent of 75° and pure sunshine, Diet Coke in hand, with a plan for beer on a patio later. She’s just the epitome of a perfect summer day, and damn if we don’t all need that in our lives. If you also know and love her, drop a comment and share the celebration with us. And this very day we’re heading to Decorah for a final show with @lccathedralchoir — if you’re in the area, come say HBD in person!!🥂 Happiest of Birthdays, O. Sure do love you. 🫶🏻, K

🎻 ANNOUNCEMENT 🎻 Join YourClassical MPR at Surdyk’s Liquor & Cheese Shop (@shopsurdyks ) for a special happy hour on Tuesday, May 12 from 4 to 7 p.m.! Stroll through the store as you enjoy classical music and complimentary beverage tastings. YourClassical MPR host Vernon Neal will kick off the event with a curated soundtrack before classical duo, @theokfactor perform live. This event is free with RSVP, will be a non-seated event, and is 21+. Learn more and RSVP today through the 🔗 in bio.

Happy Monday from OKHQ! ☀️✨☕️🙌🏻 We’re thrilled to be hitting the road with the Luther College Cathedral Choir @lccathedralchoir this week/end for a string of shows in Minnesota, and a culminating performance at Luther College @luthercollege ! They have a heartfelt program in store with the theme of longing, on which we will accompany the choir for a couple pieces, play a set of three of our originals, and also premiere with them a choral arrangement of our cover of Anaïs Mitchell’s Real World. 😍 We hope to see you out there for some of our last public performances before a summer hiatus! Sending so much love your way. Be kind, OK?🫶🏻 Love, O&K 4/23 | Buffalo High School - Buffalo, MN 4/24 | Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church - St. Paul, MN 4/25 | Bethel Lutheran Church - Rochester, MN 4/26 | Luther College CFL - Decorah, IA

Cathedral Choir will be performing their homecoming concert in the Center For Faith and Life at Luther College on April 26th, @2 p.m. Under the direction of Mark Potvin, and in collaboration with The OK Factor, this talented group of sophomores is looking forward to performing their program on “Longing” to audiences in Minnesota. We look forward to seeing you there! #greenmachine 💚

Cathedral Choir will be performing at Bethel Lutheran Church, April 25th, @3 p.m. Under the direction of Mark Potvin, and in collaboration with The OK Factor, this talented group of sophomores is looking forward to performing their program on “Longing” to audiences in Minnesota. Tickets are not required and free will donation will be accepted at all Minnesota performances. We look forward to seeing you on tour! #greenmachine 💚

Cathedral Choir will be performing at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, April 24th, @7 p.m. Under the direction of Mark Potvin, and in collaboration with The OK Factor, this talented group of sophomores is looking forward to performing their program on “Longing” to audiences in Minnesota. Tickets are not required and free will donation will be accepted at all Minnesota performances. We look forward to seeing you on tour! #greenmachine 💚

WELL HEY THERE 🤓🫶🏻 K here 👋🏻 Oof it has been a minute since we said hello to you! Post-tour always means a bit of hermit time as we get back to family and routines. Updates from OK HQ: We were together yesterday for a pitch meeting with a collective of venues around the country. They’re investing in artists who produce programming for young audiences. We’re excited for the possibilities to take our Harald and His Headphones story to the next level! Last week, we booked our flights for a triumphant return to Sweden in June with @jaervfolk ! More on that soon, but get excited for new music from JOK 😍🙌🏻 And lastly, Olivia is currently recovering from spine surgery early this morning — she spent five weeks in pain with a herniated disc, on tour and everything. Grateful to her team for taking good care of her so we can get back to making music ❤️‍🩹 Sure do love you all and keep being kind, OK? 🫶🏻, K

What a beautiful mini tour we had in Colorado! 🇺🇸🏔️🇸🇪 3/5 Jaerv kycklingar (🐔) joined us for an adventure out west, and it did not disappoint. Epic views and even more epic people accompanied us the whole weeklong tour, and what a joy it was to make music together again! 🎶 HUGE thanks to: ✨Doug and Susan of @cottonwoodconcerts ✨Jephta and all at @offthehookarts ✨Aileen and everyone at @bravovail ✨Heather, Lindsay, Delaney, and all at @aspenmusicfest ✨ Stephanie and all at the @basaltlibrary ✨ @ilanmakesmusic - The Great Connector + speaker lender ✨ @khonewiltgen - another great connector and fab karaoke partner We hope we find our way back to the Valley SO soon! If you caught one of our shows or engagements, tell us what your favorite part was below! ⬇️ Lots of love to y’all as spring tries mightily to arrive. Be kind, OK? 🤍, O&K P.S. @haraldnilssonphotography captured some stunning film — enjoy his cinematography for the first half, and the rest of our mediocre cell phone footage for the second half! 😂🙌🏻🏔️

Bravo! Vail closed its Music In Our Schools Month® celebrations with a final residency outreach featuring Jaerv & The OK Factor at Homestake Peak School. Students from the string orchestra, along with members of the Bravo! Vail Teen Chamber Ensemble, participated in a short outreach concert, interactive workshop, and engaging Q&A with the artists. Beginner and intermediate string players from the program took part in this inspiring session. With 90 students that attended at BCMS and BMHS, 60 people who attended the CMC college lecture, and approximately 20 students who participated in the outreach concert yesterday, the residency was an inspiring success. The group gave young musicians the chance to learn directly from professional artists, ask questions about their musical journeys, and collaborate in a hands-on environment that celebrated creativity, curiosity, and the joy of making music together. 🎻✨

And the final member of our merry little gang of musicians this week, Markus! @gustavsson.markus He’s a fabulous vocalist, fiddler, and the keeper of traditions. What a mensch! Our first show is tonight with @cottonwoodconcerts — so looking forward to this cozy house concert! Stay as cool as Markus and be as kind as him, too, OK? 🫶🏻, O&K

Happy Friday!! We are on our way to Denver with the Diercks family in tow — the only thing missing is our Swedes! So here’s a Harald appreciation video plus a haiku, because why not? Sir Nilsson the great, The realest of troubadours Our favorite folk star ⭐️ Love, O&K