Anika Mladineo Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Anika Mladineo is a talented musician who formed her own cover band. I was flattered that she wanted to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Anika Mladineo visits Section 36 Music!

You lead the band Walhalla, which you founded. What made you decide to put that group together?

I am the leader, founder, and guitarist for Walhalla, a cover band which I formed back in October of 2022. At the time, I had already graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Performance. I was working for some institutions as a music teacher, which was a good experience but was not my real passion. I decided to reach out to some of my favorite people to work with and started my own project. As a cover band, we focus on classic rock and J-pop/rock. It is a dream come true for me to be able to play the music that I love the most with such good friends of mine (who are also very talented!). 

What is your favorite part about performing in front of an audience?

I genuinely love everything about being onstage: I love the adrenaline, the energy, interacting with my bandmates and the audience. Playing guitar is what I love the most in the entire world, and being able to do it in front of an audience is such a joy. It is always wonderful seeing people dance around and sing along with the songs. In addition, being in front of an audience opens many doors for performers, as there's always the chance that someone in the crowd might take you places. For example, after our Anime Boston performance, we were invited to play at ConnectiCon this July, and also to play some shows in Albany, NY.

You are attended Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing Berklee has done for your career?

I graduated in the spring of 2022, but I recently became a staff member: I am the Guitar Department Coordinator at Berklee. The experience of attending Berklee is something that I will always be grateful for: developing my musical skills, meeting amazing people (both students and faculty), and giving me wonderful performance opportunities. One of the biggest things was definitely becoming a disciplined guitarist, with a solid practice routine and full devotion to the instrument. And of course, thanks to Berklee I met my bandmates and the other musicians that I currently work for.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

My favorite guitar player in the whole world is Steve Vai: amazing tone, outstanding stage presence, excellent technique, and overall marvelous control of the instrument itself. When I saw the video of his live performance of the song "Bad Horsie", I knew that I wanted to develop very advanced skills on the guitar just as he has (it's still a long way to get there, but we will see where practice takes me!). Joe Perry definitely also had a big impact in my guitar journey, as he is the reason why I picked up guitar in the first place. Other guitarists whom I admire and whose music I love playing include Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, Slash, and Kirk Hammett. In addition, I am a huge fan of j-pop/rock. Some of the bands who have continued to make me grow my love for music are the following: Kana-Boon, Unison Square Garden, Official Hige Dandism, Tricot, Yoasobi, The Oral Cigarettes, and more!

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Music is a very hard path, but dedication is what takes you places. When Walhalla first started, it was hard to get bookings, as we were a new band and did not have that much content online back then. After our first few gigs, we managed to record some good content for social media, so that people are familiar with what we do. Speaking of myself as a guitarist, a big challenge is that there are a lot of amazing players out there, so I must always be on top of my stuff and stand out as much as I can. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I want to continue playing my instrument and to share the stage with amazing musicians. I aspire to go on tour someday with my favorite artists; of course I would love to play with Steve Vai someday! I want Walhalla to continue performing and get bigger audiences as we make progress as a band. I am the guitarist for Jessica Woodlee and Remy Roskin, and I want to continue working with them as I love their material and they are such wonderful individuals to work with. I believe that being a musician is a never ending journey: even when you are the greatest of all time, you can always find something to improve and continue experiencing new paths.

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I can't wait to hear more of her music!

As always, I want to thank Anika for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram, and check out her band's website. In fact, go do both right now!

Thanks again Anika, and good luck reaching your goals!