INTERVIEW: Independent Violinist and Music Composer Iurie Sula

Iurie Sula was born in Republic Of Moldova in the late 90’s. He started to play violin at 5 years old, due to his father’s recommendation. In 2017 Iurie moved to the United Kingdom, where he has finished college and won the award for the “Best Violin Player in Southern England”. Iurie is specialized in composing Orchestral and Classical Music. Since 2018 his goal has been to help as many talents as possible to reach their own goals in a musical career, by promoting them and composing music for them. At the end of 2018, Iurie was the composer for the Theatre Show named “I’m Woman”, directed by Dumitru Acrish which won the best theatre award at the Avignon Off Festival.

[quote]Iurie Sula’s favorite quote is: “Don’t be afraid of being wrong or making mistakes, each fail is a little step towards success”[/quote]

1. Tell us something about how you got started making music?

Iurie Sula: I started making music at 11 years old, when I needed to go to a birthday and did not have any gifts. While I was thinking what to buy as a gift, I found out that there would be a piano present, so I made a gift by composing my first song and dedicated it to the celebrated person.

2. Who were your first and strongest musical influences that you can remember?

Iurie Sula: My Father wanted me to be a Violin Player as he was a musician in the early 80’s which influenced me to go to a Professional Musical School since I was 9 years old. As well, after I came to UK and without any friends here, music became the single person who would listen to my feelings.

3. If I was to turn on your media player right now, which artists or songs would I see on your personal play list?

Iurie Sula: I am a big fan of the old good rap, so Eminem for sure will be in the list and Sia, those are the guy’s to which I am listening most of the times.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners?

Iurie Sula: Professionalism in modern Music. At least I tend to have it as my goal.

5. What do you think mainly separates you from the massive crowd of artists emerging right now on platforms all over the web?

Iurie Sula: I think is that one strong thing is that I write and produce the songs by myself, as well I don’t really care about money in the music industry, if the music moves me and I feel good, then I have succeeded, but if the Music is done just to comply with my record’s label needs and I don’t feel happy about it, then I just ruined my life.

6. Do you ever write a song with current trends or pure listener satisfaction in mind, or do you only compose what comes from within your natural emotions and mindset?

Iurie Sula: I have tried to compose music based on current trends, but when you finish the song you cannot feel yourself in that song. So Most of the times is just natural emotions and mindset.

7. What is your process when writing, recording and producing your music? Do you collaborate with others and outsource any of these tasks. Or do you do everything independently by yourself?

Iurie Sula: I write, record and produce the song by myself. Whenever I need a singer, I may search for couple of months till I find the voice which I feel in the song.

8. Could tell us something about the song “Prayer”?

Iurie Sula: Prayer is a song which has been composed for a theatre show, lately I have recovered the rights on the song so I decided to release it on some major platforms such as Spotify and iTunes.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your career or life so far, and how did you overcome the event?

Iurie Sula: Being at a start point as a music composer in United Kingdom, I had to work all day to have the ability to compose and produce in the nights, but in the end when you see your track is done and it sounds as you wanted it, you forget all the pain through which you went to achieve the sound in that song.

10. What would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your career so far?

Iurie Sula: I had a limited 2 months to compose 13 songs for the theatre show named “I’m Woman”. It was extremely challenging times, but I have done it , so now I feel more confident in myself when it comes to music composing.

11. Is there anything you would change about how the music business works right now, or you happy with the current situation?

Iurie Sula: Streaming is a great feature for the listener, but unfortunately the Artists who does not have a huge amount of fans to be able touring, struggles to find Music as primary job, so quite a lot of extremely good ideas and songs are lost due to the fact that is quite hard to get paid being a musician.

12. How do you handle criticism and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

Iurie Sula: Some criticism makes me laugh as sometimes it is quite ridiculous to see a person for the first time in life taking about me like he knows better how to live my life.

13. Which aspects of being an independent artist excites you most and which aspects discourages you most?

Iurie Sula: I don’t have pressure and that helps to compose from my feelings, but as well, I have to handle all the releases, promotions.

14. What is your relationship with visual media? Do you think videos are important for your music, and do, or will you have, a video clip for fans to watch?

Iurie Sula: Video Clips are very important for fans as well as for the artist, fans can be entertained in a slightly different way and the artist can make some money out of the promotions in the clip.

15. In general, do you consider Internet and all the social media platforms as fundamental in building a career in music today, and what is your personal relationship with the new technology at hand?

Iurie Sula: Honestly, I always buy Synths and Drum Machines which were used in 2000, the new technology might appear to help you to success with your music which can be true, but I feel that this technology destroys the possibility of creating a new sound, as there are now millions of ready-made samples, loops and presets which conclude with some artists having very similar songs.

16. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of artistry and entertainment?

Iurie Sula: Music should be a blank space where you come to release your emotions, when it gets that through Musicians and Influencer’s are committed some political battles, or promoted specific trends, I think that the Artist/influencer is just selling himself.

17. Do you only create and work in a studio environment, or do you also find time to perform live? And which of these two do you ultimately prefer and why?

Iurie Sula: I do perform live quite often, but honestly I do appreciate that work which is in the “backstage”.

18. Could you tell us something about your latest upcoming project? We hear it is going to be different to anything else you have done before?

Iurie Sula: Well, I did mostly classical music and now it will change slightly to a modern music, I wish to create a project where no matter who’s the artist, people should enjoy the song.

19. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style?

Iurie Sula: The music that you listen to reflects to the music that you are composing, even if you try to keep on your own style. So I try to not listen to any type of the songs before I sit down and try some ideas on the keyboard. This helps me to keep on my own style.

20. What do you find most rewarding about what you do? And do you have a specific vision or goal that you would like to achieve in the near future?

Iurie Sula: When I see a crowd of people after a show who want to talk to me about how I came with the idea of the melody.

OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK – AMAZON – SPOTIFY