Today we’d like to introduce you to Christineh Menaskanian.
Hi Christineh, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Christineh, I am an Armenian-American singer/songwriter & artist. I have been writing since I was a kid, always had a passion for writing & singing. I never pursued it for some reason, I guess I got caught up in other parts of life but a few years ago, after being married for many years and having a child, I got a divorce and after that I was able to really understand what I am passionate about and what I want to do in my life, and had more time to focus on those things and myself. I started writing a lot more and finding I had melodies in my head (I don’t play an instrument so I would make them in my head). Eventually, I just could not ignore my need to make my lyrics & melodies into actual songs. I had been through so much at that point and starting my life basically all over. I feel like I have been reborn in many ways.
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?
Not smooth at all, very bumpy and rocky and scary, but also full of excitement & positives. Yin and Yang. It has been about three years now that I have been dealing with very difficult hardships… now I really understand what people mean when they say divorce is as bad as a death. I hadn’t worked for five years… I had been a housewife and mom during that time. I was happy doing that as well and grateful I was able to be around my son all the time when he was a baby and toddler. However, after that many years of a certain lifestyle, and my marriage ending being on my own was extremely difficult. My relationship with my ex was actually very good and I considered him to be my best friend and felt safe with him… once he broke my trust literally everything in the world changed for me, I feel like I reverted back to being a child and had to re learn how to survive, but this time on my own and with no one to coddle me. I would have daily breakdowns, then weekly, then monthly and now I just have a small wave go through me and can let it go. Those worries and anxieties are no longer prominent. I had to trust myself, I had to learn many things the hard way… I let some people’s opinions or ideas change what I wanted to do or what my gut feelings were telling me. But I did learn from all of those experiences and mistakes. I am basically doing this all alone so a lot of times, I second guess myself so this journey has been physically & mentally difficult but also a spiritual challenge and awakening as I had to trust myself to get through it.
Last year I finally was able to start making my songs. There were many ups and downs throughout even making songs… I had to overcome anxiety issues and am still trying to overcome other things like stage fright etc. I have only been actively doing this for a little over a year and have released five songs. I have many more in the works and that was like a trial and error… now I am moving forward with a bigger plan in motion and more to come. I feel like it was mostly pure faith that got me where I am today. I was so scared to do any of this and now it’s not scary anymore. I had to push myself when there was no one else to push me. Being a mom at 35, it’s not the most typical thing to get into music, especially in my culture. I am Armenian and although there has been much improvement in my community, sometimes people can be closed-minded towards things like a mom getting a divorce and following her dreams.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write all my lyrics, but also looking forward to some collabs soon. I have released five songs that are on all platforms currently. I am working on a double album right now which is a yin yang theme and will showcase that I have two sides to me like we all do, like everything does. I don’t like how they try to box every musician or person even up into a category. I like all types of music and I write for all types too. Cohesion doesn’t mean you have to stick to one category; you can be cohesive with your messages as well and with variety, I have merchandising for my brand coming up in the future too, my brand is the theme of one of my songs and my overall vibe. It’s about not letting things stop you or hold you back, it’s about living your best life and doing what you know is true to you. I am also very big on being as real as possible. I am not a fan of the fake culture out there, although I do get wrapped in it from time to time myself. I absolutely love LA and the people, but I have never been one to keep up with what others expect of me. One of the hashtags I use on my posts on IG is #IGreal. Hopefully one day, we will have a lot more real content on there and not a bunch of photoshopped pictures and fake scenarios people put out. I try to stay far away from that. Also, my status as a mom and ex-wife and in my mid-30s sets me apart. I still have a very youthful aura about me and that is something I hope always remains with me.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Being that I didn’t really know anyone in music or have any musical background in my family I have mostly gone at this alone. But, I did get help from my sister in law who introduced me to a some people who could make my songs into reality. Of course, they helped me as well, I was going into the studio every week and making a song. I learned a lot about music, myself and also about working with others in this industry. My family was supportive of me but not helpful because they don’t know much about music and how to be helpful. I also have a singing teacher that gave me much more confidence in my singing. When I put my first song out, I had so many friends, family and acquaintances who reached out, shared and were cheering me on which was a nice boost. I guess in some ways everyone deserves some credit, since I wouldn’t be where I am today without all the things I’ve learned in life.
Contact Info:
- Email: peoplemakingmefood@
yahoo.com - Website: christinehmusic.com
- Instagram: @christineh_music
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/profile.php?id= 524942924 - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/channel/ UCfEpQCScb8vxVmbSnC6b4ng
Image Credits:
Chris Adams Ericka B. Photography
