Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaux Vranken.
Hi Margaux, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a pianist/composer/arranger from Belgium, and I’ve recently relocated to Los Angeles, California. I first moved to the US in 2017 because I got a full scholarship to go study a Master’s Degree at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (Berklee College of Music). I really liked it there and I decided to stay for one more year! When the pandemic hit, I was already in Belgium, waiting for my O1B visa (also called “artist visa”) to be approved. I actually ended up staying in Belgium for two years. I decided to move back to the US at the end of 2021, but this time, I was ready for some change: Los Angeles seemed a very good place for music and entertainment in general. Over the past 3 years, I’ve released 3 albums with Igloo Records (a Belgian independent record label): “Purpose”, “Purpose: live at Gaume Jazz Festival”, and “Songbook”. I’m currently mixing my 4th album “Constellations”, which is gonna feature an amazing vocalist: Farayi Malek. This project is centered around our long-time musical collaboration and friendship. “Constellations” will be released in early 2024 most likely. On a daily basis, I love to collaborate with singer-songwriters; I consider myself as a collaborative pianist/musician more than anything else. I really love to help people bringing their vision to life. Let’s see what the future holds for me here in Los Angeles!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has never been a smooth road. First of all, being a non-US citizen is an everyday bureaucratic and cultural challenge. Don’t get me wrong: I feel extremely privileged to be able to choose where I want to live and develop my craft on this planet, but it definitely comes with a price (literally!). Los Angeles is becoming more and more expensive, and despite the fact that there’s a lot of work opportunities for musicians, I find it hard to find a good balance between everything. At the end of the day, everybody works really hard, and it’s not always fairly compensated. I know what I can bring to the world, but I still need to find the right people and the right opportunities, and this is gonna take a while! Perseverance and patience is everything.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a pianist/composer/arranger, and I love writing for vocalists. If I think about it, it has always been about the “songs”. I fell in love with jazz when I was a teenager, and I focused on that for many, many years, but I’m slowly coming back to my first true love: music with lyrics. I’m writing music that has a lot of diverse influences, and I know that can be confusing sometimes for the audience or for the promoters, but I deeply believe that staying true to yourself is a number 1 rule in this business. I’m very proud of my tenacity and courage in general. Challenges don’t scare me: I moved 6000 miles away from home to collaborate with as many people as possible and to always bring music to the world.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Los Angeles is overwhelming in the best and worse way possible 🙂 driving around for hours and hours is not something I enjoy but it is inevitable, especially when you live in the Valley. I love the nature that surrounds us, I truly believe California is one of the most beautiful places on this planet, and for that reason, I feel extremely privileged. What I like the most about LA is the diversity: diversity of people, culture, music, places, food.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.margauxvranken.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/mgxvranken
- Facebook: Facebook.com/margauxvrankenmusic
- Youtube: YouTube.com/margauxvrankenmusic
Image Credits
First photo: Meg Aghamyan second picture ‘portrait in black in white): Meg Aghamyan third photo (playing piano in the studio): Diana Vos fourth photo (in the studio, in the control room): Diana Vos fifth photo (polaroid): Prynne
