Today we’d like to introduce you to Malwina Masternak.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My name is Malwina Masternak. I am a jazz vocalist and voice artist. I was born in a small city in Poland, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Growing up, music was always a part of my life.
I began studying classical piano at the age of 6. When I was 12, I started taking Classical Voice Lessons and I continued doing so for 3 years; however, there was nothing more important than my passion for jazz music, so I decided to dedicate myself to it. I am very grateful that I started to work on my voice with Classical singing. I learnt a lot – breathing control, phrasing, what the song means, diction and pronunciation. Things that every artist wants to bring to the listener.
At the age of 17, I started studying Jazz Voice at the Marie Curie-Sklodowska University. In the same year I became a part of the Polish TV show, “X Factor” and a year later – “Clash of the choirs” where I worked with top Polish artists. I learnt a lot during that time, it was an experience that opened my mind.
In 2013 I was accepted and awarded with the scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. In the Fall of 2015 I auditioned for the Global Jazz Institute I have been studying ever since.
Even though I live in USA, I keep my ties with the Polish music culture and community. Whenever I go back to Poland I organize voice workshops specifically developed for underprivileged children and perform in benefit concerts. My mission is to give back what I learnt during my time in USA and share it with people who don’t have an access to quality education and resources. In the future, I want to start a music school in Poland, where all my friends from the music industry based all around the world could come and teach, record and perform.
Please tell us about your art.
I sing because I see my voice as a gift that I can use to communicate with others. Every single person has the voice and I want to use mine in the best way I can.
My compositions are jazz-inspired with a lot of influences from Neo Soul vocalists, such as Ledisi, Angie Stone, and Jill Scott, as well as some elements of Polish music. I am very proud of my Polish heritage and would like to share the elements of Polish culture with the world, especially traditional Polish folk music, to which I grew up listening.
I have a quartet. The name of my band is 4Clarity and it originally comes from the word “Clarity” which means “the quality of being easy to see or hear; sharpness of image or sound”. My band consists of 4 women with the goal of being seen and heard in the music industry.
At Berklee, I am one of the board members of Woman in Jazz Collective Club. The core of our mission is to highlight and empower the female performers, composers, and business people in the jazz community.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
Music gets affected by the events that are happening in the world and us artists express the idea of unity and peace through our art. We see art as a tool to healing the hearts and carrying the idea of changing the world for a better place to be.
For me being a musician is a beautiful gift I can share with others. I think that as musicians we are the carriers of influence. The message and sound we release through our art form directly impacts our listeners in a powerful ways.
I believe that music can change the world because it can change people and as an artist I think, that this is what was and what always shall be our main goal. Music can have a huge influence on what we think and how we view the world. There are so many examples of music being used as a tool for social change. It can help in breaking down barriers and borders, healing, it brings people together and it educates. It unites people.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can find my music on my website, YouTube, Soundcloud, Facebook platforms. I perform in Boston and I always share the information over the social media. Subscribing to my channel would be a great support! Feel free to leave comments and share.
Contact Info:
- Website: malwinamasternakmusic.com
- Phone: 6173730250
- Email: mmasternak@berklee.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malwinamusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malwina.masternak
Image Credit:
Ash Soong
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
