Contents
About the history of this group, which you could hear at the weddings of your friends, you can safely make a movie: there will be amazing accidents, and love, and flight from music, and a happy return to it. The guys talked about the Moscow fashion for cover bands, about the phenomenon of Agutin — Meladze, about the benefits of musical education in Russia and good luck in this interview.
About choosing a path
Anastasia Naumova-Vasilyeva, vocalist:
— When in the third grade we had a children’s musical holiday at school, one of the teachers noticed me. After the concert, she approached my mother and said: “Your daughter has a talent, write her down somewhere.” Mom obeyed, she enrolled me in a children’s vocal studio. I studied there for three years, and at the age of 13 I quit.
She returned to music at the age of 17, when she entered the Russian State University for the Humanities at the Faculty of Psychology. This time, friends insisted: «Nastya, you sing, you need to develop.» I found a studio for myself, went to study, and in the end I even began to cooperate with the guys as a backing vocalist, participating in all the reporting concerts. But she still didn’t take music seriously. It was more of a hobby. Therefore, in parallel with my studies at the Faculty of Psychology, I got a job in various jobs that were not related to music, from a kindergarten teacher to a manager in a PR agency.
Ivan Zelenkov, guitarist:
— I grew up in a musical family: my dad was a music lover, he was fond of rock, the Beatles, Scorpions, Deep Purple sounded in the house. I began to study music seriously at the age of 13-14: guitar, poems of my own composition … Like many boys. In principle, I no longer turned off this path: somehow I immediately realized that music is mine. He studied at a music school, although he did not finish it, and when he later entered the Gnessin School, he had to make up for something. Now I play with different bands — from Bali Band to RadioRock, from Dana Sokolova to El’man.
Sasha Kruglov, percussionist:
— It seems to me that I became a musician in the womb. Although I come from an ordinary engineering family, sounds have fascinated me all my life. At first there was an electric guitar, then I accidentally found out about the darbuka drum and gradually became interested in drums and percussion. In the group I play the cajon — this is such a Peruvian instrument in the form of a box.
I love percussion because it is the basis of life, rhythm, pulsation… In fact, music began with such sounds. Therefore, in addition to working with groups, I also work at the Sound Therapy Center, helping people relieve stress and find harmony with the help of sound vibrations.
About the emergence of the group
Anastasia:
— Once, acquaintances from my studies at the vocal studio suggested that I perform at one event: there was nothing difficult there, you just had to turn on the backing track and sing. I didn’t really want to perform with a backing track, and I asked my future husband Denis to play along on the guitar. He agreed. At the same time he invited his friend, a wonderful percussionist Sasha. In general, the three of us performed quite successfully and safely forgot about this experience.
And after some time, one of my colleagues in the PR agency, who knew about this experiment of mine, calls me and says: “Nastya, we are doing a concert here in the Museon, one team fell off, help me out.” The guys and I came up with the name of the group and the concept in ten minutes. Although none of us had traveled to Bali before, thanks to Sasha, we had an ethnic instrument. So seven years ago the Bali Band was born.
About education in Russia
Ivan:
— I think that musical education is not necessary for successful work, but it is important. Firstly, because some knowledge in independent work is not always possible to obtain in the right proportions. Secondly, because in a musical university you acquire intrashop connections. All these people who surround you will be your colleagues in the future — the music world, like any professional community, is small.
Competitions give us the opportunity to try ourselves in a situation with critical listeners, this is very hardening. And the crust of a musical high school can simply make it possible to survive in difficult times. For example, when the period of lockdowns and concerts are canceled, you can get a job as a teacher. I did just that in 2020.
Anastasia:
— I studied many times in different studios with teachers from the Gnessin School, but not in Gnesinka itself. Do I regret it? I can say this: it does not affect the possibility of promotion in any way. As for personal requests, I have some gaps that I close with teachers in private. Probably, if I had studied at the university, they would not exist. In general, my situation is not unique. My husband Denis, the bass player with whom we came up with the band, also studied at the Russian State Humanitarian University. By the way, the singer Manizha and Noize MS also graduated from our university.
Sasha:
— All my life I have been learning to play different ethnic instruments, while I have no classical musical education. As a child, I had an experience of studying accordion at a music school, not the most successful — I left music after school for several years. Probably, the classical system of education does not suit me very well, I lack freedom and opportunities for personal development in it.
Maria Suponeva, group manager:
— If we talk about my field of activity, music management, then in Russia we have, for example, a state university that trains specialists in this area — the Gnessin School. As far as I know, there is a faculty of modern music industry and a department of musical art management, by the way, Teona Kontridze, a famous jazz vocalist, studies there.
There are other possibilities as well. For example, I am currently studying Marketing for Creators with Sergei Neginsky. I think that the knowledge that I get there will help me further expand the capabilities of my wards and reach a new level. In general, we have opportunities to develop in the field of music management in our country: there are state universities — the Gnessin College, Moscow and St. Petersburg Institutes of Culture, there are private universities, for example, Synergy University, there are courses and seminars.
In addition, it often happens that the education that you received in another field helps you in the future when you move into a new field. For example, it helped me that I once received an additional higher education in the specialty «copywriting»: therefore, all the knowledge I received in advertising school is used in the formation of a corporate identity, concept and in writing all texts on social networks and in general everywhere .
About the perfect cover and fashion for cover bands
Anastasia:
— When we first started, we played what I had a playlist, what I myself listen to with pleasure. Mostly these were songs in English, I wanted such a stylish, European sound, «not like everyone else.» Then we began to pay attention to people’s requests and realized that sharing our interests is cool, but since we are a cover band, we must also take into account what people want to hear. Added Russian songs.
And then it became clear that a balance had to be struck. That is, to play what is in the top, but in such a way that these songs are also in our personal top. Much depends on the tools, by the way. Why, for example, we cannot perform the songs of the Leningrad group? Because in the same «Louboutins», for example, pipes sound, and we have a cajon, an acoustic guitar and sometimes a bass guitar … In such a design, «Leningrad» would sound too exotic and unrecognizable.
Who is ordered always and everywhere? Meladze and Agutina. It’s kind of a phenomenon. They are loved even by those who «fi, we only listen to foreign.» As soon as we enter with “You will forget about me on the lilac moon …”, the audience immediately picks up a long “Ah-ah-ah-ah …”. I think the secret of these performers is in the musical harmony of their songs, which resonates in the Russian soul. Well, their texts are simple, but not banal, they are pleasant to pronounce.
Maria:
— We have a unique situation in Russia with cover bands. For some America, for example, with its difficulties with royalties, a cover band is an exotic phenomenon, and we have a huge number of them. On the one hand, this is good, on the other hand, there are many non-professional teams. And in order to declare oneself correctly, to separate oneself from the mass of amateur groups and to adequately compete with professional ones, it is important to have your own chip.
We decided to bet on niche. Bali Band is stylish, tasty pop music for those who like Ariana Grande, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Justin Timberlake and other Western pop stars. This is not the kind of group that will perform everything in a row: from Louboutins to hali-gali. We have a clear gradation of the repertoire that we perform.
In short, if we are offered to play Leps at a corporate party, we will most likely refuse. And it is important for us to keep this line. From my own experience, I can say that defining the boundaries of the style is perhaps the most important thing at the initial stage. When you find a style, you find an audience, form a circle of like-minded people who are close to style and ideology.
Ivan:
— I think the cover industry will develop. Now, at many radio stations, Russian performers often begin to cover some famous songs and spin. It seems to me that this is one of the good options for some artists — to take a famous song, make a good cover, shoot and move their story further.
There will always be a demand for cover bands: many people want to hear live musicians at their event, and since not everyone can pay for a famous artist, you can simply invite well-playing musicians who will play many different songs.
We still don’t have a very developed culture of tribute projects — when a group plays a performer completely. We have tributes to Queen. There is an official tribute to the Beatles. But there are still few of them.
About the choice of projects
Ivan:
— Once I peeped from one Russian musician who moved to the USA and worked there with many different projects, one good rule and I use it. When choosing a project, answer yourself three questions:
Are you comfortable with the people you work with?
— Do you like music?
— Will you be paid enough?
If you can answer yes to two of the three questions, then you should agree. Of course, sometimes life makes its own adjustments, sometimes you really need money, and you agree to a lot, but in general, when you focus on this rule, the internal filter works correctly.
Sasha:
— I have one principle — to do what you like, and not to do evil. Be sincere. Music is the greatest treasure, it ennobles both you and the listener. The mere fact that you are doing this is already a great happiness.
Anastasia:
— I think I was very lucky in life: I didn’t choose projects, but they chose me. In general, I agree with Sasha — you need to do what the soul lies in.
About the Russian mentality
Maria:
— There is a stereotype that Russian people are lazy, that creative Russian people are not about efficiency. I do not agree with this. Of course, there are wildly talented and very lazy people who are just lucky. But my experience is that most creative people are very hardworking. Even if you take my musicians, they all lead several projects at once. Nastya, in addition to being the most talented vocalist, participates in theatrical productions and musicals, teaches and leads the Hot Horist project.
Sasha combines concert activities in a group with work in a sound therapy center. Guitarist Vanya teaches at the Primakov School, works as a guitarist for several well-known artists at once, teaches music theory, arranging and guitar. There are many examples. Therefore, I believe that we must work, work and work again. And the result will not keep you waiting.
Anastasia:
Everyone in the music industry is very hardworking. Believe me, if a talented musician lies on the couch and waits for success to fall on him, you will simply never hear about him. In order for you to succeed, you must act, and Russian musicians do it no worse than others. Therefore, all these stereotypes about Russian laziness. I don’t know, this is not the case in our profession. But Russian sincerity, which makes you let work through yourself, not do it mechanically — it is! We have a lot of this!