Today we’d like to introduce you to Dea Magna.
Dea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was always in love with music. My earliest memories involve hours of listening to records, in front of my dad’s huge, old speakers.
In adolescence I attended music schools for almost 12 years, training to be a classical pianist. But, when the time for college came, Business Economics was voted as a rational and safe choice. Even though I did well both in college and master studies, most of the time I had an overwhelming emotion that I was losing myself along the way. I found myself again, when I started singing, DJing, and producing music. I realized I will never be happy if the music doesn’t become a centerpiece.
But it was very hard to make that shift. I grew up in a region where encouragement to “chase your dreams” to become an artist was not a very common thing. The economical situation was such that you would be strongly recommended to choose something secure and more steady. In my case double insecurity was brought by the fact that I was not choosing to make music that is popular in my region, and sing in my native language, but sing in English and try to make something for the global market, which was not often done before. So it took a lot of courage for me to go all in.
But, here I am! I moved across the Atlantic to L.A., self-produced a nine-track debut album, got signed to a big label, Swutch Music Group, and I am working with some great L.A. artists. I climbed a mountain, but I see many more ahead.
My mission is to prove that staying true to yourself and pursuing your dreams is the only way. If I manage to evoke hope and inspire people to try overcoming their circumstances and dream bigger, I will be a very happy woman.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s never easy if you try to build your career from scratch. I recently read that about 80% of independent artists between 18-30 suffer from some form of mental health issues related to their work. It is because most of us pair our self-worth with our art. It takes a while to realize that you are more than your music or your “brand”. Also, rejection plays a big role in the field. You have to have “thick skin” knowing you only need that one, right “yes”, and these “no”s are here to test you. Meanwhile, you must take in the feedback, learn, improve, and keep on hustling. It can be extremely difficult to maintain stamina. But, in reality, the most important things are not forgetting to love yourself, keeping those hopes up, and not giving up.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Primarily I consider myself a singer/songwriter, but I produce as well as play the keys and DJ. I have a unique style of live performance that combines DJing with live singing, keys, drum pads. Sometimes I would completely re-create the process of making the song- live, or improvise and create a new song on the go. I combine genres such as deep house, progressive and techno, but you can also hear a pop, hip hop and breakbeat influences.
I am very proud of being able to make music that speaks to so many people. I recently checked out my Spotify stats, showing my latest song “Edge” is being listened to in 74 countries around the world and added to over 50 playlists. I always get excited when people call me to let me know the song has just appeared on their “Release Radar”.
Besides that, I am in the planning stage on a couple of projects with some next-level talent which will be huge. So, stay tuned, you can expect big things coming in the near future.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Even though I’ve been in music for a while, I still consider myself to be early on in my career. I do believe there is no better place to be, as the creative energy here just flourishes. Inspiration is everywhere and the opportunity is limitless. It is not easy to be an artist wherever you are. But, in LA, at least you are not alone, there are many people just like you, and you can hear their stories and struggles, learn from them and get inspired, which is a truly amazing thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deamagna.com/
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Predrag Novakovic, Neven Bujosevic, Erik Christensen
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