I'm going to share with you an incredible story. It came about when I met a young female singer songwriter at The Songwriters Guild Of America week in LA. she was volunteering at a workshop I was doing. Coincidentally I was in need of a part time intern and I liked her polite and relaxed style with the Writers and so I asked her if she'd be interested in coming in for an interview. Everything in life happen's for a reason,and believe me WE have no idea WHY and how sometimes. Normally I absolutely prefer not to have an artist/writer interning here. as it's usually worked out best with a business major or law student assisting me . This is the story of Singer/songwriter Marina V .She came in for an basic interview and when I started to ask her about her background. the most amazing story started to unfurl.

You see Marina is a five year immigrant from Moscow. Russia (formerly known as the Soviet Union). In Russia, she'd started singing at a very early age and could pick out melodies by ear, a most unusual thing in her family. When Marina turned 6, her mother enrolled her in a school of music that she attended for 8 years. every day after regular school classes. But studying classical piano and music theory didn't excite Marina. as much as writing her own songs. When Marina turned 11, she decided to play a couple of her own songs for her piano teacher who scolded her in russian that the song's were simply "nonsense".

Too young to understand WHY, Marina didn't realize that the Russian culture was not the perfect environment for an aspiring young artist with big dreams. She took her teacher's negative comment's to heart and put a hold on her songwriting dreams for a few years. Soon she graduated from her school of music with honors. And when she turned 15, she won a academic scholarship to attend a high school in the USA for one year. That year changed her whole life. She realized that the American culture was more nurturing to individual creativity and she decided to move 'all by herself' to America -whatever it took. And it took a lot! Marina had to return to Moscow at 16 when she found out her mom was about to move to Australia and that her year of study abroad wouldnt count academically in Russia. She knew somehow she had to finance her trip back to the USA and took a job at a beverage franchise and saved up her money whilst helping support her family, studying hard to finish high school.

At 17, Marina finally found a way back to America when she received a private scholarship to attend college here. Living in the country where talent, determination and hard work can really pay off, greatly inspired Marina to start writing her songs again. Because she'd left her whole family behind to come alone to this country - with much heartbreak and sacrifice along the way, she felt she'd gained an invaluable personal experience to write from . Now Marina is freely writing her vision in english, which for her symbolizes and represents everything her culture has long repressed. (Having english as a second language. for a Songwriter certainly make's things harder to express lyrically) yet she expresses herself wonderfully in our native tongue and is becoming a strong storyteller in the process . Shortly after her 19th birthday, at a fitness club in Springfield, Illinois. and very much by fate, she met a fellow songwriter/drummer/bassist and her future soulmate - Nick Baker. They hit it off and have been writing and recording songs ever since. Marina has released two albums independently, has toured in many states, has had her music used on MTV and has also signed two artist endorsement deals with YAMAHA and AUDIX Microphones. Marina is currently residing in L.A. and is working on her 3rd album at her home studio.

I will add that ( that I am only helping advise her in her independent route and am not publishing her works), AND - " that after all of the years and all of the Writer's I've meet in my life "very rarely do we witness such a great example of sheer tenacity and utter perseverance". Against the odds. across the iron curtain. and many continent's away - against all she was raised with and taught to believe - in spite of these obstacles she's realized her personal dream of freedom of expression of her art. I think it serves us all to share her story, the message that we should never let anything, nor anyone in life stop us from attaining our dreams. I welcome you to visit her website at www.MarinaV.com . For brief comments contact: sixties1@aol.com

(c) 2002 lynne robin green worldwide rights reserved