“El Sueño" by Alyssa Barker (March 2, 2023 release)

"El Sueño" is the debut electric violin single from the incredibly talented Alyssa Barker!

Give it a listen as soon as you can!

Here's what Alyssa had to say about it recently...

"El Sueño is a song I started writing three years ago and it has gone through many stages to get to the point it has. I’m so grateful for every collaborator I had on this project!"

You'll be able to find “El Sueño" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify or Apple! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I absolutely suggest you do.
 
Right Now!

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If you want to learn more about Alyssa, check out her interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing violinist.

Be sure to give “El Sueño" a listen!

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If you want to find more great music, "El Sueño" has been added to my "What 2023 Sounds like from Section 36" playlist as well as my "Women Going Places, from Section 36" and "Women From Berklee and Section 36" playlists. Go check those out and enjoy all the artists featured there.

Claudia Lee Horna Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Claudia Lee Horna is an incredible singer, and I was thrilled she wanted to visit with us and discuss her recent music, her future, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Claudia Lee Horna visits Section 36 Music!

I really enjoyed your work on the animated short film “Blooming Cycles”. What was that project like to put together?

It was very fun! The creator of the short; Allison Power, and I met during a Berklee – MassArt collaborative mixer where every animator had a project they were currently working on, so she pitched to me her short, which is heavily inspired from the Women’s Movement of the 1890’s and 1960’s. The short looked amazing even from just looking at the concept art at that point and then we started talking about the mood and atmosphere that she wanted in the short and I gave some input on what I would probably compose for it. 

Afterwards, we had a few more meetings where we settled on the vibe of the music being rock with psychedelic elements and I got to composing a few theme pieces. We were fortunate enough to have the initial meetings before the pandemic hit in full force in Boston, since we got the basics done and I had a solid idea on what to compose without needing to meet face to face. 

We then kept communicating with each other, with me sending Allison drafts for the music and her providing feedback until we arrived pretty shortly to the final draft.

I love the final animation and I am so glad that the short is doing so well, it has been selected for a few international film and short festivals, and it certainly deserves the praise! 

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing that has done for your career?

Coming to Berklee really taught me how important andmeaningful collaboration can be, especially when it means stepping out of your comfort zone, because it brings new perspectives and ideals, thus creating something that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to create alone. I came to Berklee wanting to focus on one specific style of composing, but being surrounded by musicians from all over the world and teachers with a lot of experience encouraged me to try new styles and new approaches to composing, which only made my music better. 

Is composing for a video game different than composing for a movie or television show?

There are for sure some different aspects between the two, but they are more technical than composition wise. When I score for a scene and sometimes you need to use different software in order to sync music to a game, rather than with movies, where you can just use your DAW of choice to sync and compose to picture. Additionally, my experience in video game scoring has leaned a little bit more towards a sequential and layering approach. However, at the end of the day, you are telling a story and enhancing the feelings and atmosphere with your music, regardless of whether you are scoring for a video game or a film. So composition wise there isn’t much of a difference. 

Who/what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

Joe Hisaishi and Yoko Kanno have been very big musical influences for me in the scoring world. Growing up and listening to their compositions through anime series and movies made me really appreciate the music in film and TV, which eventually led me to pursue Film Scoring as a career. Their music always inspired me and I was amazed at how versatile Yoko Kanno was at writing in different genres of music.

Furthermore, another big, but more recent influence has been the Silkroad Ensemble. I only learnt about them when I came to study at Berklee, but listening to their music was a key factor in me realizing that collaboration and willingness to learn from fellow musicians and their traditions, can go a long way. 

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Self– confidence. While I have gotten much better about it inthe past few years, I still have moments of struggle where I don’t think I am good enough to be a violinist or composer. As a result, the lack of confidence affects my creativity and performance, which in turn makes me doubt myself more, becoming an endless cycle. Thankfully, I am lucky to have a great support system in my friends and family, who keep encouraging me and taking me out of my own mind when I am too deep in. It has been very helpful, not only career-wise, but also it has helped me be happier as a person too, which in turn also affects my music. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I am currently working on my first EP. It is still in the composition and arranging stages but it is meant to be a collection of original pieces and arrangements that draw inspiration from the different genres that I have been studying in the past years. I want the instrumentation to mainly be composed of strings, since string instruments have often been categorized as only being able to play chamber or orchestral music, a myth that I have thankfully realized to be false. As I mentioned earlier, I am still finishing up the composition stage but I am very excited to begin recording and mixing!

Additionally, I’m going to keep performing, as well as scoring for film and media, further growing my network and meeting great people to collaborate with.

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I definitely want to hear that EP!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Claudia to see what she's up to. The best way is to visit her Section 36 Music page. It's a perfect way to enjoy everything Claudia has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Claudia, and good luck reaching your goals!

Alyssa Barker Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Alyssa Barker is a talented violinist, and I was so glad she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, her future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Alyssa Barker visits Section 36!

When did you realize that violin would take a huge part in your life?
I first realized violin would be a huge part of my life when I was in high school. Granted, I enjoyed playing violin years before high school, but when I had the chance to work with Mark Wood at his Rock Orchestra Camp in the summer of 2016, it was then that I became in love with what I wanted to do. At that camp, not only did I learn a lot about the versatility strings instruments have in different genres, but I also met the head of the String Department at Berklee, Doctor David Wallace. This was the point for me where I became the most passionate about my violin studies.

You’re currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing that is doing for your career?
Being at Berklee is something that is essential for my career

as a musician. I am learning how to play my violin in ways I would have never expected to before starting college. Since I have been at Berklee, I have learned more Classical Music, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Country, etc. Additionally, to performance, I have recently developed a passion for composing, and playing in recording orchestras. All of these things I am learning to do and that I have had the chance of being a part of at Berklee has given me tools and connections to take out with me in the real world when I graduate.

I really enjoy the informal performance videos on your YouTube channel. What do you enjoy about creating and posting those?

I initially started continually posting videos because I wanted something extra to do when the pandemic started back in March. Not only does it help keep me busy, but learning new songs and putting them together for the world to see makes me feel like I am performing to some degree. In such a crazy world where concert venues and halls are closed for a long time, this is one thing that helps me feel like living in a normal world still exists.

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?
I’ve never answered a question so easily! The violinist who has inspired me the most is, Itzhak Perlman. He is one of the best musicians I have ever heard play in entire life. Itzhak has such a sweet soul, and he has such an amazing story with having had Polio at a young age and gaining the strength to play violin. Not only has he overcome those obstacles, but battling with his disability his entire life, he gives back to the community and has such a passion for teaching children
music. Other musicians I look up to are of course my teachers at Berklee. I wouldn’t be who I am today without their instruction.

What do you miss most about playing in front of a live audience?
I miss absolutely everything about it, and to be quite honest, I

don’t think I have very many words to express how much I miss it. On one of my nightly walks in Boston, I walked past the Symphony Hall and broke down in tears because I have so many amazing memories. Not being able to go into a music venue of any kind to hear or play music for a year kills me. Seeing the crowd, being with other musicians, and even the stress of getting ready for shows that I’ve dreaded so much in the past are ironically all things that I crave so much these days. I’m just dying to get back into this scene and do what I love and know how to do best – playing music from my heart, and to make a difference in another person’s life.

What are your immediate career goals?

When I graduate from Berklee, I am hoping to study to get my Masters in Composition, and eventually maybe my Doctorate. I will continue to work on my social media content to gain exposure to the outside world. However, ultimately, I hope to play music in many different groups of different genres, involve myself in playing on film scores, and would love to get commissioned to compose music for people. Later down the line, I see myself potentially having a violin studio to teach students everything I have learned throughout my years.

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I hope she’s able to achieve those goals!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Alyssa to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram and Facebook. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing!

You can also visit her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links and pictures. It's a great way to enjoy everything Alyssa has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Alyssa, and good luck reaching your goals!

Cat Lines Visits Section 36!

Photo by
Nora Grace Albinus Photography

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Cat Lines is a wonderful violinist and singer, and I was so glad she wanted to visit with us and discuss her latest single, her goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Cat Lines visits Section 36!

I really enjoyed your holiday single “It’ll Still be a Merry Christmas”. What can you tell me about it?
Thank you! I think that this year has presented so many challenges, and one of the biggest ones was not being able to travel and see loved ones. It really started to hit me in late October, how likely it was that I wouldn’t be going home for the holidays. I haven’t been home in almost a year, so that was pretty terrifying, and this song was my way of dealing with it in the most positive way possible. I wrote it in two days, recorded it in a week, and now it’ll be out December 11^th on all music platforms. I really hope this song can bring comfort to people who are in the same situation, and offer some hope in an otherwise very difficult year.
 
I also loved the video for your other single “Let ‘Em Talk”. What was that like to put together?
“Let em talk” was my debut single specifically because I

wanted something that came off as very positive and uplifting. I play for a band, Raquel & the Wildflowers, and my singer, Raquel had a lot of experience with music videos, so she and I drove around upstate New York and filmed in various places outdoors. My sister is an incredible dancer, and I actually wrote this song for both of us, so I had her choreograph and film a large section as well. My wonderful friend (and wildflowers drummer) Tommy edited the whole video together. It was magical, it got such a wonderful and positive response, and I can’t wait to do it again, hopefully soon.
 
You’ve been able to work with several other artists in the past. Do you have a dream collaboration you’d love to do?

Photo by Richard Killian

I am first and foremost a violinist, so I love working in studio settings creating string parts for people’s projects (my own included). I really love Ed Sheeran and I think his music is really suitable for violin and dense vocal harmonies. However, if I could be mentored in songwriting by Taylor Swift, I ABSOLUTELY would. I think she’s brilliant and really knows how to tell a story that reaches everyone on some level. And if I could take lessons from Jimmy Mattingly, Garth Brooks’ fiddle player? That would be the coolest.
 
Who or what would you say in your biggest musical influence?
Probably Taylor Swift. However, I did grow up listening to a fair amount of Garth Brooks, Sting and the Police, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, so those definitely play in.
 
Right now, what would you say is your biggest non-COVID career challenge?
Navigating social media is a challenge; deciding which

Photo by
Nora Grace Albinus Photography

platforms to invest my time in, figuring out the best way to reach people in such a digital age. It’s easy to get caught up in a numbers game and forget that the most important thing isn’t how many people you reached, but how many people actually cared and were positively affected by what you created.

What are your immediate career goals?
I want to create and release great music on a regular basis. I want to continue to create and hone my technique and make music that people really feel, and relate to, and are comforted by. I have some big plans for 2021, so hopefully that’s within reach no matter what else happens.

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I definitely want to find out what those plans are! 

As always, I want to thank Cat for visiting, and for sending along the wonderful pictures to accompany the interview.

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Cat to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram and visit her website. They're great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing!

You can also visit her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, pictures, and samples of her music. It's a great way to enjoy everything Cat has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Cat, and good luck in reaching your goals!