Meet Marina Maiztegui

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Maiztegui.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Marina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Born and raised in Brazil, I began singing before I can even remember, with made up microphone in one hand and any Disney movie on the TV. My parents quickly suggested I should begin music lessons (piano, voice, and guitar) since none of them had any musical background or ever had the opportunity to have music lessons. From there, I was the designated singer of all of our family gatherings, which involved casual or planned performances to family and friends. I began writing music before I can even remember but my first full song which I actually recorded was at the age of 16. At that point, I discovered Berklee College of Music in Boston and it became my goal and dream college. At 18, I auditioned to Berklee, was awarded a Scholarship, and my life quickly turned around to the best years of my life. All by myself, I moved to a different Continent, with a different language, in a city I didn’t know anybody in, all of it to follow my dreams and career goals of pursuing music.

After that, my life was filled with music 24/7 in every direction and it was truly a dream come true, I met so many incredible musicians and a lot of the artists I now work with. I found my voice and my calling at Berklee, which was to follow not only my solo Artist career, but also use music to make an impact on people’s lives, so I decided to add the Major of Music Therapy with a minor in Psychology. I felt more fulfilled than ever as I could directly see that impact and connection through such a universal language, sometimes without the need of words, just music. After graduating Berklee, I moved to NYC to do my Music Therapy internship at the one and only Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine (one of the most renowned music therapy programs in the country) and to continue pursuing my solo career. I met the most influential and incredible Music Therapists of this country, the pioneers, and was immensely inspired, they truly changed my life and perspective of music therapy.

I began having my own private patients and, side by side, I performed in NYC with countless artists, began releasing my own music. I met some of the most artists from all around the world and continued shaping my own voice as an artist. The cold got the better of me, so my boyfriend and I decided to move to the dream sunny state of CA and drive cross country with our two-door car and everything that could fit in it. Moving to LA was certainly one of the best decisions we’ve ever made and don’t plan on leaving this paradise anytime soon lol I began working in the music therapy field here in LA in multiple facilities that challenged me not only skill-wise but also emotionally. I grew more than I ever thought I could in such a small amount of time. I continued to develop my voice and songwriting skills and began writing with a variety of renowned producers for not only my own music, also for sync, for other artists, and began playing bass in a TV show! I know, awesome right? Never thought I would do that and it’s been awesome! LA has opened up a world of opportunities and possibilities that I never thought possible, it showed me my true ability to learn, grown, adapt, but never lose sense of who I am.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh, there definitely have been countless struggles in every possible way. From moving to a tiny Island to a Big city like Boston and facing the reality that is the amount of talent that is at Berklee. Suddenly I wasn’t standing out anymore, I felt like just another singer next to almost 5 thousand other extraordinary musicians from all around the world. It’s so easy to feel like you are no one in the creative world because you are continently trying to stand out and do something different that will make people see you. That is something I struggle with till this day and probably will for the rest of my life as it’s part of my personality and who I am. I’m a people pleaser, and if others aren’t happy with my work or if it’s not perfect, it’s not good enough. That’s why I said finding my voice in this career is a constant evolving matter and it has its ups and downs, but I feel like with every down, I get back up stronger than I was before. Mental health is always a focus as I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression most of my life, but music plays an essential role in that and especially working in Music Therapy has opened my heart to the true effects of music in my life.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I’m a singer, songwriter, producer, and a Board Certified Music Therapist. That means I have multiple jobs, I perform with multiple Artists, I write/record with renowned artists, I write and produce my own music (alongside some incredible producers), and work as a Music Therapist with a wide variety of populations. Those include Mental Health, Eating Disorders, Palliative care with children, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, Autism, Developmental delays, Early intervention, PEDS, and NICU. Working in such contrasting environments can be difficult at times but also extremely fulfilling as in certain ways, they complement each other. I believe being a music therapist has made me a better performer and person to work with, as I have better understanding of how my music can affect others and how to better communicate with others by being a good listener and having sharp observation skills.

On the other hand, being a performing artist and songwriter has without a doubt made me a better Music Therapist. In sessions, I am constantly writing music on the spot with my patients, and having a higher level of musicality provides a level of comfort and safety for my patients. I also speak four languages, Portuguese, Spanish (father is from Argentina), English (duh!), and French, so having those skills has helped me tremendously especially here in CA since so many of my patients are immigrants and feel more comfort in speaking their native language.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have worked on my confidence more and from a younger age, as it’s always been a struggle for me and I believe it has set me back in a variety of instances. Oh how I dream of being unapologetic, of not being afraid of being myself, of not caring so much of what others think. I’m constantly working on it and it’ll probably be a never-ending battle for me, but I’m more in sync with my inner emotional needs more than ever as music provides that outlet for me on some instances.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 6176157020
• Email: marinamaiztegui@gmail.com
• Instagram: @iam.madam
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iam.madam.official

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