Carita Annika Boronska

Q:How did music become a part of your life?
A:I was 5 years old and my mother had just bought a piano that same year. I soon identified myself with the different sounds of infinite melodies and harmonies that the keys produced when playing around with them. I was always fascinated by the emotion and creativity in composing, whether it was music or the colors and shadows when drawing or painting. Even before I sang, I composed. I did my first recordings and voice arrangements by "the old trick" of using a double cassette player, recording one track of voice on the first cassette then changing to the other cassette, adding a second voice, then changing again recording a third and so on until I had a whole choir of voices. Although the quality (of the recordings) was very bad, these moments were very special to me and I still like the home-made demos, that usually have a magic touch to them that many times can be hard to repeat: Everything seems to have its special moment in time. On my 16th birthday, my father gave me a "Roland D-10" keyboard, a "Fostex" 4-track recorder and a microphone. I started to record my songs and it felt as if there was nothing better in the world! The only problem was that I spent all nights long recording, often until 3 or 4 in the morning, still having to wake up early to go to school (I always came late to class). I completely loose notion of time when I'm creating...

Q:As far as composing and writing, do you use any guide-lines or references? What has been your biggest challenge so far?
A:I'm still mainly guided by intuition and spontaneous inspiration, qualities that have been fundamental when composing, for example film music; In 2003 I did the film score for a Spanish film called "Eres mi heroe" (You're my hero) directed by Antonio Cuadri. It was one of the most beautiful and most challenging experiences of my life. I love to compose all kinds of music and one of my dreams is to one day complete a symphony...

Q:When did you decide to study music?
A:I didn't really study music until pretty late. I did take singing lessons before but I never studied the theory (to be frank it didn't really interest me). I was a self-learner, mostly "by ear" and intuition. Ever since I can remember, what I like about music has always been the creativity and ability to express myself through music. Finally, at the age of 23, I decided to apply to a music school and I got a scholarship at "Berklee College of Music" in Boston. I realized that I had a lot to learn so I signed up for a lot courses, more than I could handle (I was just supposed to stay for one semester). In the fall of 1994 I hardly slept at all between classes, recordings at night and other voluntary activities that I joined. In the end I stayed and studied the 2 year "Professional music" diploma. In Boston I learned a lot of things, not only within school. I got to know people from all over the world. A great cultural mix and a constant exchange of different styles of music were like "daily bread" over there. At first, when I got back to Europe, I panicked and it felt as if I hadn't learned anything at all. I was pretty depressed until I realized that it was just a matter of time to digest and adapt all this knew information and knowledge. At Berklee I won several composition awards. Most of the songs that I presented were songs that I had written before going to the States to study. I was taught how to arrange my songs. It was thrilling to hear how the music grew with a string quartet or a horn section. When it came to harmony, I had a hard time in class. I couldn't really appreciate to learn and use the rules by the book. Harmony, for me, is and has always been something natural.

Q:You also work at a music school in Madrid (La escuela de musica creativa). What are you teaching?
A:This past 8 years I have been teaching at a music school and private lessons at home, mainly voice lessons. One of the really important things that I have learned by teaching is to "give and receive". I've learned how to transmit my knowledge to others, analysing sounds and different techniques and treating the psychological aspects of singing (mental blocks and fears) through breathing and relaxation exercises etc. I realize that I also receive a great deal from my students, with their personal interpretations, views, their gratitude and motivation when they realize how they've improved - To give and receive is one of the most beautiful things in life.

Q:How do you see yourself personally?
A:Until now I've only spoken about my musical world. I also want to share with you, other fundamental aspects in my life. I'm not going to get into too many details (I could write pages and pages) but still I would like to say that I find myself at a point in my life where I feel ever so close to my true "I". I believe that each and everyone of us has an authentic "I", a true nature that a lot of times doesn't come out in the light because we are not living "our lives" but "the lives of others". We live the life we are taught to live. That's why it's so important to find our "inner light" that is the same energy as the essence of the universe and all existence. I have always felt a connection inside that has given me strength and security when being creative or in the act of sharing, but I never really knew what it was. I believe in God but I don't like religions where the rules and the regulations are invented by man in order to control its followers. I have always searched and fought for what I felt was right or wrong, not what they told me was "right or wrong". I have never felt fear when it comes to exterior threats. I've lived in dangerous places and I've experienced critical situations, but I've always felt a kind of security that nothing would happen to me; I've felt protected. My fears are of a different kind: The fear of making mistakes, being abandoned etc. It's still something I work with a lot. It's important to realize and accept that we are not perfect, that we are here to make mistakes, to learn from them and continue to learn from what life has to offer us. With love, Carita

 
January 23, 2007
The score of the film "You're my hero" (Eres mi héroe, composed by Carita) WON A SILVER-MEDAL PRICE at this years Park City Filmmusic Festival (parallel to the Sundance Film Festival) in "The Best use of Music in Feature Film competion" catagory!!
link: LINK
 
November 20, 2006