Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anastasia Petrova otherwise known as “Ocevnside Clvb”. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anastasia, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I think all creative work revolves around risk-taking – dropping my math courses in my last year of high school to withdraw my business school application was a risk. Pursuing post-secondary education in audio with no guarantee of return on investment was a risk. Every dollar spent on equipment, instruments and software was a risk. Even now, every time I sit down with an artist to write or produce, my attempt at telling their story using their experiences poses a risk to their ability to trust and be vulnerable with me. Pitching songs to managers and labels comes with the risk of feeling rejection.

On the other hand, what makes the risk feel worth it is unwavering belief that what you are doing is important. Unwavering belief in yourself. The more risks you take, the more palpable it becomes to do it over and over again, every single day. I grew up singing in a children’s choir age 11-18 and for me, risk-taking happened every time I stepped foot on stage. Seeing strangers be so emotionally touched through song at such a young age made me really believe in the healing power of music. Knowing that the music I make makes an impact on the artists I work with and those around them reassures me that taking the risk is worth it every time.

Anastasia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I don’t feel that I chose music as much as I think it chose me – I’ve known that I wanted to pursue it in some capacity from a very early age. Vocal lessons began for me at age 6 which continued on to formal classical training at age 11. I began touring professionally with my choir at 14 and started classical piano studies at 13 at the Royal Conservatory of Ontario. Halfway through high school, I had the opportunity to perform at the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am Games in 2015 which was a sold-out 50-thousand people show. With shows like that, you sing live but you also have a pre-recorded version in your in-ear monitors that you sing with on stage as well. That pre-recorded version had to be recorded prior to, which was one of my first experiences in a recording studio. At the time, I was 15 and was known to be the “music nerd” at my high school which put on dances where one of the DJs asked me if I was interested in singing over his tropical house song. Having said yes, he brought me into a local studio, located 5 minutes away from my high school and from then on, the studio obsession began. The owner, Marcel, lent the studio out to kids interested in recording their own music free of charge and I began to frequent the space once a week for the rest of school. By that point, I wasn’t sure what this profession really was but I knew that someone had to do it, so I began looking at audio schools in Canada. I landed on Harris Institute which I later attended for two years, studying Arts Management and Audio Engineering formally.

Post graduation, I had no idea how to get my foot in the door with major studios, but I had a good feeling offering free labour via an internship was a foolproof method to at least gain some hands-on experience, if not get hired. After a year of interning at multiple studios across Toronto, I quickly picked up on the fact that none of these studios had the budget to take on another employee. There was such a plethora of interns that with such a huge turnaround amidst a global pandemic (this is around 2020-2021), I knew I just had to figure out how to do it on my own.

At that point, the goal was clear – find clients, and re-invest all I make from music into building a fully operational studio. Wether it was luck, talent or perfect timing, I wound up getting accepted into a program called “Women In The Studio”, facilitated by Music Publisher’s Canada. That program facilitated workshops, networking events and career development opportunities which then led me to finding clients organically, build a reputation and becoming a full-time music industry professional.

Now, I offer recording, songwriting, production and mixing services from my home studio as well as a number of studios around Toronto. I produce and write under the alias “Ocevnside Clvb” and release my own music under the name too. I believe my thorough background in classical music sets me apart from other creatives in my field, especially when it comes to vocal production. I work primarily in pop and pop-leaning genres although I’ve also worked extensively in rock and acoustic genres as well.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

After becoming a small business, I learnt how important it is to support other small businesses. A healthy creative ecosystem requires everyone doing their part – attending shows that artists you listen to put on. Buying merch. Buying software licenses instead of downloading illegal cracked versions. Oftentimes, the companies that create the software we need to do our job proficiently are also small businesses and require support from the community. All in all, I think a healthy creative ecosystem require continuous re-investment from those who work and benefit from it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is to see the impact my job has on other people – seeing someone cry after I bring them a song they conceptualized in their head, interpreted the way they intended it, is always such a special moment. I’m a firm believer in that music has the power to heal people – I’ve witnessed it happen from my earliest memories in music education. I also love the community building it allows for. For how subjective music is, it really isn’t a competition but a celebration of each other’s efforts.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ocevnsideclvb
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasiapetrovamusic/
• Other: For booking inquiries, I am reached best via Instagram DMs.