Section 36 Music

Monday, November 9, 2026

Alma Solano Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music had another visitor! Alma Solano is an incredible singer off her first single, "Haunt Me". I was sthrilled that she wanted to visit with us to discuss her music, her future goals, and more! I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Alma Solano visits Section 36 Music!

I adore your recent single, “Haunt Me”. What can you tell me about it?

I'm so glad you like it! I wrote it after reading "Wuthering Heights" at the start of the year. One of the main characters, Heathcliff, has a a line that really stuck with me where he says: "you said I killed you—haunt me, then! [...] Be with me always—take any form—drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!" That gothic-romantic idea really stayed with me, and while I was reading I thought it sounded like a rock lyric. I wrote it all out in a frenzy and presented it to my band the day before a gig in New York City on January 30th. My band is just sensational and despite how tired we were from traveling, we fleshed out the arrangement by 2:30am that day. We performed it at the gig later, and we all couldn't get it out of our heads.

Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process?

I think my favorite memory was recording with my band at absolutely insane hours. My engineer, Colin Clayton, and I were able to grab recording studios for long periods of time but sometimes from 12am to 4am or 2am to 6am. We would show up to the sessions in our sweats to be comfortable and jump around to keep the exhaustion away. During a break, Q Adamson (drums) would be doing the New York Times crossword puzzle while Tessa Cullen (electric guitar) and Cate Yoder (bass) would be swapping stories while I was listening to the effects that Colin was adding to the mix. We were all so tired so the heavy rock aspects of the song definitely kept us awake.

You are attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you?

I'm actually a transfer student from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario so I got the opportunity to apply to Berklee a little bit later than most. Berklee felt like the right choice for me because of the specializations in audio engineering and business that they offered. I also wanted to connect with musicians from all over, and learn more about production and engineering. Now, I'm in my last semester and will be graduating in Music Business and Music Production + Engineering. Being able to release a song I'm so proud of in my last semester really feels full circle.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical inspiration?

I would say Queen, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, and The Warning. My parents are huge metal heads so I grew up listening to Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Black Sabbath. I loved metal and heavy rock from a very early age, and I'm pretty sure the first song I ever learned in English was "Nothing Else Matters". Later on, I discovered the theatrics of Freddie Mercury and Joan Jett and loved how they pushed the boundaries of what it meant to be a rockstar. Now, The Warning is one of my favorite bands. As a Latin rock musician myself, I feel very inspired to see their band thriving and finding their audience in such an authentic way. I would love to open for them someday.

If you could cover any Disney song, which would you choose? Why?

This is a very serious question. I think I would love to do a rock version of "Friends On The Other Side" from Princess and The Frog. It's one of my favorite movies and that song is just so fun, and creepy.

What are your immediate musical goals?

I have at least 2 more singles in the works that are going to be released so soon. This would be setting up for my first EP release in May 2027. I would love to do a small tour with it and connect with alt-rock fans in as many cities as possible. I'm posting about the entire journey on my socials so please follow along to see everything unfold. I'm so thrilled about what's to come, and I'm so glad to have my band + team by my side.

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You can find Alma Solano here:

Friday, November 6, 2026

Maria Isabel Visits Section 36 Music!

Another visitor to Section 36 Music! Maria Isabel is an amazing artist, and her single "Renacer" is one you need to stream as soon as you can. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss her music, her future goals, and more! I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Maria Isabel visits Section 36 Music!

I really enjoy your single, “Renacer”. What can you tell me about it?

Renacer translates from Spanish as Reborn and I wrote it at a time of a lot of uncertainty where I didn't know if music was my calling. I went on a pilgrimage which was providential and after I heard a lot of experiences in my heart I had certainty and hope for the future and that's where Renacer came from. I like to call it a letter from God to me and to whoever is listening to it.

Do you see more studio work in your future?

Yes, I'm actually working on my first EP where I m combining my Afro-Caribbean roots with pop, jazz, flamenco, and a little bit of Beatlemania. In the making, I'm also writing more songs which is something that keeps me grounded in my craft but I can't lie that I'm also planning to perform more live God willing.

You are a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What is the biggest thing Berklee did for your musical career?

Ufff...I will say it taught me to be an entrepreneur not only a violinist. I came to Berklee as a violinist and musician and Berklee gave me the tools to open myself to not just do one thing as a musician but I was able to explore myself and the industry and how I can be creative no matter my life circumstances.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical inspiration?

For me it's so hard to put it in one word since I try to be inspired every day and prepare myself to receive the “muse” rather than just waiting for the inspiration to come but of course first it's God because when I remind myself that being a musician is more a calling than a duty I'm able to open myself while doing the things I have to do and I get more inspired. And at the same time in one word, I will say love, which involves God, my family, friends, love for living, love for the art, love that you can find in the duality of the days that are not that bright.

What would you say is the biggest challenge with your musical career?

Definitely all the sacrifices made. I'm originally from La Vega Dominican Republic and the biggest challenge in my musical career has been navigating the intense personal sacrifices that come with prioritizing my art. Being a dedicated musician often means making difficult choices between the career I love and the personal life I value but little by little I see how God is showing me what's rigth to do and blessing me with opportunities since I truly believe that good things take time and sacrifice.

What are your immediate musical goals?

Immediately, I would like to start opening shows for artists, perform more live, release my EP, and I recently entered the Next Music Star contest and it will be a dream come true to be able to win the contest and invest the prize into what is coming in my career. (And you can help me make my dreams come true by voting here :

https://thenextmusicstar.com/2026/maria-isabel-del-rosario )

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You can find Maria Isabel here:

Sarah Sovak Talks About "Remnants of You"!

Today, Sarah Sovak released her long awaited EP, "Remnants of you". As a fan of Sarah's I couldn't wait for this offering, and was not disappointed. I definitely needed to know more about the release. Thankfully, Sarah was willing to answer some questions about the EP for us to help with that.

Let's see what she had to say!

What do you want listeners to know about your EP “Remnants of You”?

I want listeners to know that this EP tells a story. Each song offers a different reflection and perspective on a breakup, capturing the different emotions, realizations, and stages of letting go. I hope people allow themselves to experience the journey that Fooey and I created and find the songs that resonate with their own experiences, because they're all so beautifully different.

“Remnants of You” is my first body of work, and creating these songs and building this world was truly such a healing experience for me. In a lot of ways, writing these songs helped me process things I didn't always know how to put into words. I hope that when people listen, they can find pieces of themselves in these songs, whether it's a lyric that puts a feeling into words or simply the reminder that they're not alone in what they're going through. If even one person can connect with this project and find a little healing through it, then that means everything to me.

Do you have a favorite song from the EP?

Ooooh, this is such a hard question! Every song is so different and explores a different stage of realization after a breakup. For my first EP, I didn't want to box myself into one particular sound. I really wanted the freedom to explore different genres, sounds, and emotions throughout the project.

Fooey, my producer, was incredible at helping me bring those visions to life through all the different instrumentations and sounds he created. I genuinely don't think any two songs on the EP sound alike, which is why it's so hard to choose a favorite. I love each one for such different reasons! But that being said, “I Wish You Were a Bad Guy” will always have such a special place in my heart. It was the first song I wrote at Berklee, my first single I released this summer, and now the premiere track on my EP. It will always be a special milestone in my journey as an artist!

Do you have any favorite memories of the recording process?

The recording process was honestly so fun and a little makeshift, but incredibly rewarding! The craziness of the school year and preparing for finals last May finally caught up with me, and I suddenly realized we didn't have much time left to record everything before summer! We booked a practice room and set up our equipment there, with Fooey and PTK5 helping make it all happen during finals week! We recorded each song in about two hours, totaling around 14 hours of recording across six tracks in just one week! Needless to say, it was a longgg week, but such a fun and rewarding experience!

My favorite memory was definitely recording the gang vocals with Fooey and PTK5 for my premiere track, "I Wish You Were a Bad Guy." We were dancing, vibing, and laughing the entire time. It was such a fun moment, and definitely one of the highlights of the recording process for me!

Do you have a favorite lyric from a song?

The first line that comes to mind is from “A Good Thing” - "The leaves are fallen, the stems are frayed, yet I keep around for old times' sake, the mess of a bouquet."

This particular line feels especially honest to me because it speaks to the difficult experience of holding onto a relationship even when you know, deep down, that you shouldn't. I just think this metaphor is so beautifully heartbreaking. I absolutely adored writing this song with Jayda Shaye. I really pushed myself to be more intentional about storytelling and to lean into a more lyrically driven approach with this one, and I love how it turned out.

How have you grown as an artist while creating the EP?

I've grown so much as an artist and songwriter through creating this EP! I only really fell in love with songwriting last fall when I arrived at Berklee, so sharing such vulnerable, personal songs with a producer was initially intimidating. But Fooey created such a safe space for me to experiment and grow creatively. We revised so many of these songs together, incorporating Jayda Shaye's input along the way and sometimes even rewriting entire choruses! "End of the Play" was originally called "Gone" and sounded completely different, and "Tides" almost didn't even make the EP until my friend Amelia encouraged me to release it after hearing it in my songwriting class. Now, it's one of my friends' and family's favorite tracks! It's been such a rewarding process and has taught me so much about trusting myself creatively.

Beyond growing as a songwriter, I feel like I've grown so much as a person and a creative. I've gained a deeper understanding of music business and a newfound appreciation for everything that goes into creating and releasing music. I've learned just how much time, work, and energy the process takes, from the initial idea to the finished product. It's been such a rewarding experience, and it's made me appreciate every part of bringing this project to life even more!

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Where to Find Sarah Sovak

Monday, November 2, 2026

From the Stands to the Field: My Full-Circle Moment at Fenway Park

By Naya Neno

Growing up just outside of Boston, going to Red Sox games was always a special part of my childhood and my family's connection to the city. I loved everything about going to Fenway Park: the food, the smell of hot dogs, the very passionate (and occasionally angry) Boston fans, singing along to the ballpark tunes, and the energy of being surrounded by thousands of people who loved the same team. But as much as I loved all of those things, there was one part of the experience I secretly looked forward to most: watching the vocalist sing the National Anthem. Even as a kid, I found something so special about watching someone stand on that field and sing for an entire stadium. It was one of those moments that stuck with me, long before I realized that someday, I wanted to be that person.

Years later, after joining the Wakefield Memorial High School Choral Department in my hometown of Wakefield, Massachusetts, I learned that our choir had its own special connection to Fenway. For years, the department had a tradition of performing the National Anthem at a Red Sox game about once a year. Unfortunately, the tradition was put on hold during COVID, and it wasn't brought back until the beginning of my senior year of high school in fall 2025. I was devastated when I got sick and couldn't attend. I had hoped to experience this tradition with my choir before graduating, and I thought I had missed my chance.

Thankfully, I got an unexpected second opportunity! On August 23, 2026, before the Red Sox took on the San Francisco Giants, past seniors who had already graduated were invited back to sing with the choir before the new school year began. Getting to return to Fenway with my old choir was so much more than just another performance. It was a chance to reunite with old friends, reconnect with the incredible directors who helped shape my musicianship, especially my choir director, Ana Morel, who taught me so much of what I know today, and revisit a place that had been part of my childhood for as long as I could remember. Getting to share that experience with the people who helped shape me as a musician made it all the more meaningful.

Now, as a vocalist and songwriter pursuing my dreams at Berklee College of Music, I look back on that experience with an even greater appreciation for what it meant to me. Singing with my high school choir was incredibly special, but it also made me more determined than ever to pursue solo National Anthem opportunities. I grew up watching those vocalists, secretly imagining what it might feel like to be the person standing on the field. Now, I've made it a personal goal to sing the National Anthem solo for every Boston sports team, from the Red Sox to the Celtics, Bruins, and beyond! These teams and their traditions were such a big part of my childhood, and getting to return to these same places as a performer, this time standing on the field by myself, would be such a full-circle moment. It would mean so much to give back to the city and community I grew up in through the thing I love most: music. Getting to sing solo at Fenway Park someday would genuinely be a dream come true, and I can't wait to keep working toward it.

I'm so grateful I got a second chance to be part of this tradition with my choir. It reminded me that sometimes the dreams you carry quietly as a kid are the ones worth chasing the hardest, and that something you once watched from the stands might one day become something you get to do yourself.

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Naya is a first-year vocalist at Berklee College of Music blending acoustic pop, R&B, and indie influences. She brings an emotional, intimate sound to every performance, combining powerful vocals with activism and storytelling.

You can find Naya on Instagram.

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Abby Volta Talks About "Bog Bitch"!

Later this week, Abby Volta will release her incredible single, "Bog Bitch". It's a fantastic song that you will want to listen to as soon as you can. Thankfully, Abby wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the song so we could all learn more about this release. She was willing to answer some questions for us to help with that.

Let's see what she had to say!

What do you want listeners to know about Bog Bitch?

Bog Bitch is the nastiest song I’ve released, in a good way! It’s all about taking up space and not restricting yourself for someone else. So naturally the sound of Bog Bitch is also very raw and leans more into hard rock. The bass and guitar are super fuzzy and distorted. The song also features more synths than my past singles which creates a very moody, gothic atmosphere. My favorite part of the song is the breakdown where I do some metal screams. I want the raw energy of Bog Bitch to transfer over to listeners and for them to feel excited and empowered!

How did you come up with the name for the song?

I knew I wanted to write a song about being considered a “nasty woman” and the pushback AFAB people get when they refuse to follow gender norms. As I’ve become more aware of the ways I make myself smaller around men I’ve tried challenging that behavior. It’s been hard, and I often worry that I’m coming off as rude or like a bitch. I created the character Bog Bitch to channel that frustration into. Through Bog Bitch I’m able to be fully myself, to be loud and opinionated and authentic.

What was it like developing the cover artwork?

It was really fun developing the cover artwork! I did a photoshoot with my super talented friend Eve Hide. We took some spooky pictures in Ringer Park, but I wanted a picture of me emerging from a bog. So we filled up my bathtub, put in a bath bomb and got some pictures of me fully clothed floating in the “bog”.

Do you have a favorite lyric from the song?

My favorite lyric is “I’m not your mother”. It’s a pretty straight forward lyric but it quickly conveys the anger so many AFAB people feel when they’re pushed into some kind of role of responsibility by a man’s weaponized incompetence. I love to channel my frustration into this lyric when playing Bog Bitch

Do you have any favorite memories of the recording process?

The recording process for Bog Bitch was amazing! We recorded with Jett Lea at 37' Productions and had a lot of fun experimenting with different sounds and guitar pedals. I think my favorite memory was when I recorded the screams for Bog Bitch. I started messing around with different silly sounds and at one point my drummer Dylan recorded an amazing evil laugh that made it into the final song!

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You can find Abby Volta, and "Bog Bitch", here:

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Thursdays With Una: Life Updates

By Una

I want to talk about a few updates with my career and life. I am very excited to announce the last show of the semester that I am going to be doing on November 4th. My set starts at 8PM but make sure you come at 6:30PM to hear Stefane and take your seats. (FREE SHOW)

Another thing, I was called to talk about this topic. I found myself in a place where nothing was really working out (or so I thought). I feel like I have been in the season of my live where me showing who I am is really scary and I don’t like being vulnerable on the internet. I was sick, had strep then did the show on the 30th with little to no voice and then ended up in the hospital but that doesn’t stop me to reflect on things. Nothing is promised, everything can just drift away. And in those seasons it’s really important to remember to be grateful for the little things. Little things that are become big the moment we are deprived of something. Health whether is mental or physical is the most expensive thing on this earth. But I am ready to do the most and make the most of everything that I am creating.

I am excited to perform my Serbian original (Ljubavni dosije) and another original “Written in the starts”. On Nov 4th you will hear 6 out of 9 songs from my upcoming album.

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Una is a Serbian born singer-songwriter based in Boston, where she studies at Berklee College of Music.

Be sure to follow along with all of the "Thursdays With Una".

To keep up with everything else going on in Una's life, check out her Section 36 Music Homepage.

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Granite Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Well I guess, technically, a few visitors. This time we talked with members of the group "Granite". The hard rock group from New England is fresh of the release of their debut single, "Boldness in Bloom". I was honored that they wanted to talk with us about their music, goals, and more!

So, let's see what happens when "Granite" visits Section 36 Music!

How did Granite come together?

Dante McIntyre and Lauren Norcia met on the streets off Salem while Dante was busking. Lauren walked by and dropped her business card in his tip bucket offering to collaborate with him if he ever needed a vocalist. In early 2026, they decided to work together and met guitarist Allison and bassist Savannah to complete the lineup.

I really enjoyed the band's debut single, “Boldness in Bloom” What can you tell me about it?

Boldness In Bloom is about breaking out of a cycle of blindly following individuals to the point of losing your own identity. The main message of this song is finding out how to keep your individuality in the presence of people influencing you. It's a song about acknowledging how you have to find yourself by breaking away from the ties that hold you back.

Did you have a favorite memory from the recording process?

When recording the final overdubs of Boldness In Bloom,
Savannah hopped on the mic and recorded the chorus and outro backing vocals part on the spot. She recorded it quickly and on point, and this harmony vocal line became a key part of the song.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical inspiration?