Marek is answering the questions

How do you rate your album after it’s finished?

Hmmm …. I will try to be immodest and I will say that I have not heard such a good album in Poland for a long time. I am listening to it almost all the time and I encourage everyone to do so. Hahahaha!
I think it went a set of cool tunes, catching your ears and staying in your head for longer. This is a collection of songs, differing in style, and at the same time an album is linked with my musical emotions and my way of treating the guitar or percussion. I think you can hear my music style from this album. For me, for obvious reasons, it’s hard to break away from it. I’m not objective, but I do not know the second release with this type of music in Poland, in which 12 artists from different parts of the world would take part. I am happy and proud that I managed to realize the dream of my life! I am glad that it came out so good and that the songs were sung in English, Spanish and French, because it will definitely increase their range.

What are your artistic goals?

The phrase „artistic goals” can be understood in many different ways. For me, the production of the album I Got A Song In Me is the realization of the need to share songs with people that I have kept locked up in me. It is a great joy to convey emotions and feelings to others this way. If you find among 21 songs from the album, although one for yourself, although one you identify with, I will be the happiest creator of the universe. An important element is also that I leave a kind of legacy. I am motivated by the awareness that my music will be circulating in space for ever.

Who is your master who influenced you the most as an artist?

I think the American group Toto is an unmatched model. It is a band that can combine beautiful melodies, excellent compositions and the highest professional level of performance. I do not know a second band whose music would connect generations in such a wide range.
However, in order to fully understand the genesis of my present, musical, broad taste, let’s step back in time for a moment… I was born on Saturday, the day when The Beatles with the song „Help!” celebrated the first place on the list of American billboard. Next places are Bob Dylan and his „Like A Rolling Stone” and The Beach Boys from „California Girls”. On that day in the first fifty bilboard, songs that also played an important role in my musical education appeared: „I Got You Babe” Sonny & Cher, „Hang On Sloopy” by The McCoys, „Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones, or „What’s New Pussycat? „Tom Jones. I was lucky enough to mature in an era of the most thriving development of rock and popular music. In my home rock’n’roll hits sounded from music post cards, and I jumped on the sofa with a tennis racquet imitating a guitar listening to songs by Helen Shapiro, Wanda Jackson, The Shadows, Pat Boone, and Elvis Presley. When I started playing in the first band as a teenager, we were fascinated by Deep Purple, Focus, Yes. We composed multi-minute instrumental suites. At the same time, I listened to a lot of talented popular musicians, such as Abba, The Police, Kool & The Gang, Steve Wonder or Kate Bush. I listened to music almost non-stop, despite very difficult access to it. There was no internet, no cell phones, and the vinyls were hard to access and expensive in Poland. Then the charming 90s with Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Of great importance to me were always the arrangements and multi-layered compositions, to find something new with every listening, and the virtuosity of performers. But virtuosity, which is not necessarily about playing as quickly as possible and absolutely perfectly technically, but playing melodic and above all from the heart.

Which song from the album I Got A Song In Me is your favorite?

Well… I love them all the same and they all contain a piece of me. The fact that I use different styles on the album makes the album diverse and interesting. For sure I tried to work on arrangements so that the songs were not obviously constructive and sonorous. I think it worked. The order of the tracks on the disc is not a ranking list. I arranged them to build a kind of a story, opening with a title song, and closing with a strong accent that the world belongs to us!

What inspires you to create and how do you work?

I try to listen to everything that surrounds me, from singing birds, conversations between people, various musical genres, to the noise of the street. Of course, the emotions that take place at the crossroads of professional, private and creative life are of great significance. Inspiration comes from everywhere. I take the instrument and the notes come to me. The first chords and melodies are usually created very quickly. Expansion of the work, arrangement, harmony, need days and weeks. The song in the first version and in the final version on the album may differ significantly. Some songs have been written in dozens of versions … This is a record of my creative story. On both albums there are songs even from 30 years ago, which were finally released.

What does the CD cover show?

The cover is my logo, which symbolizes the music box, and at the same time it is built from the initials of my name and surname. This winding music box can be understood in many ways. First of all, I am a positive person and the word suits me and my work. Secondly, the music box symbolizes me as the person who drives others to action. It was like that for many years in my professional life, when I was a team leader, and that was the case with the project of the last album, where I was driving myself and the others. Thirdly, the music box is also a representation of me – me as a person who is being wind up by others. With a friend who carried out the whole package design, we have known each other for many years and trusting him as a graphic artist, I hardly interfere with his proposals. All we need is a short conversation, giving my vision of result that I would expect. He is a design expert, so I leave him free to create. I like the whole packaging very much!

In your work you deal with almost everything. You compose, arrange, record, mix and produce. You play on guitars and on drums. Which role is the most important for you?

They are all very important because they are very personal. Building all the musical notes yourself is fascinating, although sometimes very difficult and tedious. It happens that I miss the company of other artists, sound engineers or listeners – critics. Cooperation broadens the field of creativity, makes the decision making easier and helps in finding bottlenecks. Feedback from listeners allows you to develop and improve. I really value cooperation with artists participating in the I Got A Song In Me project. Without them, this album would be completely different and definitely less interesting.
Another important element that caused many months of work on both albums are the competences I acquired during this journey. Dozens of hours spent in the studio with music are an invaluable experience on the road to perfection. For me it’s very important!

Aly Frank

Aly is a great vocalist, pianist and producer living near New York. Aly has over ten years of experience in the music industry, gives concerts, publishes her own albums and records for other artists. Aly was the first artist I started working with as part of the project. She is the co-author of the title song I Got A Song In Me – it  was her words that became the canvas of the whole album. I got a song in me and it’s playing for you!

Scott Foster Harris

Scott is a guy taken out of the rich music of the ’70s. He lives in Los Angeles every day, where he has recorded professional vocals for years, both for the bands in which he performs and for other composers. He was a member of e.g. LA Guns, The Tracii Guns League of Gentlemen and Zen Rizing. He appeared on MTV and was a laureate of the LA Music Awards several times.

Shaley Scott

Shaley is a great composer and singer from Los Angeles. She has extensive stage and studio experience. She performed alongside such stars as Chubby Checker, Joan Osborne, Cracker, and Bob Marley’s The Wailers. She collaborated with film composer Christopher Lennertz. Shaley is the performer of Smurfette’s main song in the production of Sony Pictures 'Smurfs: The Lost Village’.

Enlia

Enlia lives in France, where she composes, records and sings. Enlia writes music since the age of 14, recently focusing mainly on electronic music. She released two own albums and many singles. Enlia has participated in productions of computer games and in numerous guest recordings for other creators.

J.None

J.None is from Orlando, Florida. He is a member of the American acapella group VoicePlay, which is gaining more and more recognition and popularity not only in the USA. I wholeheartedly recommend! J.None graduated in music production at Full Sail University. He composes and produces, but for me he is above all an excellent vocalist, with almost unlimited voice capabilities, and in addition his creative rap can be a model of this style.

Chris Hodges

Chris is a great singer from Los Angeles. For me, he is an outstanding rocker, but Chris can efficiently navigate through different genres of music. In addition to singing in the Neptune Blue band and participating in the great concert project Linkin Park Tribute, Chris is a very active artist developing his own project of online session vocalist. In addition to music, his passion is sport – Chris is a co-founder and CEO of GoTribe Fitness.

Britney Jayy

Britney is from Los Angeles. She is a poet, vocalist and model. Her favorite music style is R & B. Her voice and style of singing are very similar to famous star Brandy. Thanks to Britney, a bit of R & B style can be found on my album. Britney is an excellent poet, and her texts always contain important messages.

NyaLi

NyaLi comes from Singapore. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York. NyaLi has been singing since childhood, moving through all musical genres. She is very good in the style of smooth jazz as well. She attended the Berklee College of Music, where she developed her musical talent, specializing in session singing and creating so-called top line writing.

Roksana Karniewska

It’s the hardest to write about Roksana … Participating in the preparation of my project on a regular basis, listening to the songs, one day she chose one and wrote words in English. We had to find an artist to whom we would pass on her text to be carried out. And when the decision was almost made, Roksana decided she wanted to sing her own text. She appeared in Eddie Forest Studio and … we have her vocal debut on the album! Bravo for the debutant!

Rachel Potter

Rachel lives in the capital of country music – Nashville. She is a finalist of the American edition of X Factor and a musical star at Boradway. The song from Queen’s repertoire „Somebody To Love” by Rachel has nearly 50 million views on YouTube! She performs as the lead singer of the Steel Union group, and with the acapella group VoicePlay has achieved several commercial successes. In the songs on the album I Got A Song In Me, Rachel beautifully shows her country roots.

Inés Vera-Ortiz

Ines is a Spanish woman with a very rock temperament. Her amazing vocal skills allow to sing almost everything and in any style, but Ines focuses on strong rock music. On a daily basis, she composes and sings in the Inner Stream band, is a music producer and vocal coach. Ines participates as a singer in big concert projects, such as History of Rock or Rhapsody of Queen.

Hani Lire

Hani is a Russian from St. Petersburg. She sings from the age of 4 and this is the most important thing she would like to do in her life. Today she is a professional vocalist, appearing on stages and on Russian television. She is the vocalist of the Fox In Oil band. Hani is also a vocal coach and trainer teaching how to write songs.