Today we’d like to introduce you to Mardyny.
Mardyny, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story as a musician starts around 2014. I always had a love for music; I played instruments growing up and I experimented in writing lyrics and creative poetry from time to time, but 2014 was the year I realized I wanted to be an artist. At this time, I was going into my senior year of undergrad at Virginia Commonwealth University, and I had just got my first recording studio setup at my apartment, so I finally had the creative freedom to record songs. One year later, I was set to graduate and had solidified a group of close friends that shared the same passion and love for music as myself. We formed a collective group which had early success in the Soundcloud age, which gave me a taste and fueled my desire even more to pursue my musical career. Two years later, we all went our separate ways, and I ended up moving up to Northern Virginia where I strategically settled into a corporate job to provide a stable income that would allow me to record and fund my musical career on the side. During this time is when I ended up learning how to record, mix and master my own music. Equally as important, I learned not only how, but the importance of marketing myself and my music in order to achieve results. My sights were set on moving to LA to take this all to the next level, and that time allowed me the space and growth to arrive here.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My path has definitely been difficult at times. Just starting off with the money aspect or lack thereof, it’s extremely hard for musicians to get a good paying job with the flexibly to work on music and attend events essential for our careers. This obstacle has single-handedly been the hardest thing for me to find balance within. When I got my first corporate job it gave me the finical stability that I needed; but as time went on, I noticed it stunted some elements of my musical growth. That 9-5 corporate life attributed to a lot of stress in my life, which led to my development of anxiety and depression. Once I was able to quit, a lot of improvement came since I was now able to focus on my craft. Another big obstacle has been the learning curve of the music industry… the do’s and don’ts. There’s no real handbook or guide to be a musician, so everything I was doing to better myself was through trial and error. All these roadblocks are the reason I have become the person I am today, not only as an individual but as a musician.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an artist from Virginia, known for lyrics and melodies. The thing that makes me the proudest about my music is its authenticity. Making music about real situations that I’ve been through is almost a way of venting, and I know other listeners that have been through a similar scenario can have a small form of therapy knowing they are not alone. I believe what sets me apart from everyone else is my diverse background and my staying true mentality. Coming from a mixed background, being half black half Lebanese has allowed me to expand my audience in ways I never understood. Also growing up in a military household and moving to a new state every three years allowed me to become a people’s person. Additionally, staying true to myself and always doing what I believe in has allowed me to excel and attract genuine fans.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up as a military kid, I moved frequently which helped me gain a vibrant personality and taught me how to make friends with ease. I was really into sports, soccer in particular, which ultimately was my first love alongside music. I played travel soccer up until I graduated high school, and I even received offers to play collegiately. Back in grade school, I remember how proud I was to be in my 6th grade band playing the saxophone, which I vividly remember being a pivotal moment of discovery where I found my love for the sound of music. During those years, I took an interest in delving deeper into sounds and melodies which led me to my love of hip hop. I honed in on the classics and the trending with the help of Limewire and Napster, which sharpened my ear and started my mental cataloguing well before I even realized it. Then, I proudly purchased my first CD which was none other than Kanye West’s iconic College Dropout tape. This point in time realistically shaped and molded what has come to be my musical personality. Fast forward to 2020, I can attribute and take pride in these small yet significant building blocks that led me to discover who Mardyny is and my niche in the music industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mardyny.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam_mardyny/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamMardyny/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iam_mardyny
Image Credit:
Mark Enriquez IG: @1llest
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