Meet Marina | Independent singer/songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marina, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
Yes! There is. My favorite affirmation to myself is “Begin Again.” One of my struggles has always been staying consistent and moving forward when things get difficult (especially with my music). I used to have a terrible, self sabotaging habit, of giving up if I made a mistake or if things weren’t going the way I anticipated. I’d get frustrated and quit. What I realized later was that things will never go completely smooth. There will always be roadblocks and barriers, and things will get stressful. But that’s not a reason to stop or quit! Just take a break. Rest. Take a step back and reset. If a goal is that important to you, it doesn’t have a deadline. And then once you’re ready, begin again.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Writing music! Every song I write comes from a deep, emotional place. Whether it’s about someone or something in particular, or if it’s just residual pieces of pain from the past, I’m always writing from an authentic place. My proudest moments are when I perform and move someone to tears. That’s when I know I’ve done my job and that something inside them has shifted. My hope is that I’ll continue to have the opportunity to create music, and that it’ll reach as many people as possible. And that one day, music won’t just be my passion and creative outlet, but also my career. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but what I’ve realized is that nothing worth it ever really is. The one thing I have learned is that it’s impossible to do everything yourself, and that the more people you have to help you with your vision, the better. This year, my goals are to continue creating, start performing again, and reach a wider audience. It’ll be exciting to see how things unfold!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have tons of favorite spots in and around Denver! First, I’d take them to see a show downtown at the Denver Performing Arts Center. I’m a huge Broadway fan, so that’s a must. Then we’d hit up some of my favorite restaurants: Barcelona Wine Bar, Parisi, Hapa Sushi, and Odyssey to name a few. I’d also try to take them to a show at Comedy Works (I love standup). Golden would be on our itinerary as well. We’d go to the Golden Mill, walk along Clear Creek, and go dancing at the Rock Rest Lodge. That’s my favorite suburb for sure. Besides that, a concert at Red Rocks (if someone good was in town) or possibly Yoga on the Rocks. Definitely a couple cocktail bars (Union Lodge No. 1 and The Green Russell are a couple of my favorites) too. If they were into art, I’d try and take them to the Denver Art Museum. And one day we’d drive up to the mountains to explore a mountain town (probably Vail). If we were feeling really ambitious, we’d make the drive to Glenwood Springs and hang out at the hot springs for a couple days also. That’s probably it in a nutshell!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many amazing people that have helped me with my music projects over the last couple years. To name a few, Glenn Sawyer and Rich Veltrop at the Spot Studios gave me hope for my music again. They brought my songs to life better than I could have imagined! And two amazing voice teachers are the reason I sound as strong as I do on my songs: Laura Davis (with LJD Studios) and Grace Hannah (with Songbird Studio). I absolutely couldn’t have done it without them!

Website: https://marinassongs.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinassongs/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marinassongs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/marinassongs/

Image Credits
Photos by Alina Hokanson, Angelica Wedell, and Maiya Mindoro.