We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arina Bagaryakova. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arina below.

Alright, Arina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My ultimate mission is to bring joy to people and channel the best within me into my music. I firmly believe that the more effort you invest in becoming a better human, the greater impact you can have through music.

Arina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born in Russia and began my music journey as a soloist in Children’s Musical Theatre Domisolka. I spent my entire childhood with this theatre, touring the world: the World Expo in Shanghai (China), Flowers of Russia Festival (Milan, Turin), The Sochi Winter Olympics in Sochi (Russia).

The turning point for me was meeting my mentor Nikolai Chermoshentsev, who introduced me to blues, jazz, and also instilled in me a love for folklore, inspiring me to delve deeper into Russian culture in general. I began to embrace it. Together, we cultivated many projects, including an a cappella quintet, Kvinch, which is a significant part of my personal development. I have always been interested in art, visiting museums, exploring new exhibitions, and avidly reading, mostly Russian literature and poetry. All of these elements greatly influenced my journey, providing me with a voice and identity.

Then, I received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. That’s when things really started moving for me — I relocated to America and got exposed to various music genres and diverse people and ideas. I must give a shout-out to my Berklee mentors Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Danilo Perez, Marco Pignataro, who granted me many incredible opportunities, including performances at the JEN conference and a commission for an installation at the MassArt museum. After school, I traveled extensively, including a month-long residency in Morocco, and now I’m in Brooklyn, NY. It’s still crazy to say, like I can’t believe it’s real!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Being an independent artist, like myself, in the modern world entails being a visionary, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, producer, manager, booking agent, graphic designer, publicist, and much more. While I would love to focus solely on art, the reality is that it involves much more than just being creative. I consider myself fortunate to do what I love, but it can be quite exhausting to manage all aspects of it.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I would encourage all artists to explore grant opportunities in their respective cities or countries. It’s a great way to connect with new people and pursue projects you’re passionate about while getting compensated for your work. A recent noteworthy opportunity I personally had was with the TIAM working group. Additionally, there are other valuable initiatives, such as Mutual Mentorship for women musicians. For those in NYC, NYFA is a useful website to find administrative work related to the arts in the city, along with information on grants and fellowships.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bagarisha.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bagarishamusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arina-bagaryakova-3aa117192/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bagarisha

Image Credits
Ken Yin, Alexandra Chizhova