We were lucky to catch up with Tasneem Islam recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tasneem thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Like many kids I knew growing up, I was a “rebel.” I just wanted to have autonomy. I wasn’t rebellious in the stereotypical ways we see on T.V. and film (smoking, drinking, etc). I was more of the sneaking-out-of-the-house variety while wearing knee-bearing clothing. Very scandalous, especially in my mom’s eyes.

I won’t get into that further right now, but building that sense of autonomy for myself at a young age was crucial for my growth as an adolescent being catapulted into adulthood — physically, mentally, spiritually — and it was something that my parents eventually trusted. Did it take convincing? Yes, but mainly through my actions. Whether it was choosing the non-STEM college majors I felt would create a better future for myself and community, or getting engaged to the right person but outside of our family’s faith background. I think that’s what my parents did right and also why I’ve come to appreciate them so much, rather than demonize them for trying their best to protect me: they trust me.

Tasneem, 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 got into music because of my family; my parents signed me up for singing and piano lessons from the age of 5 and encouraged me to practice daily. Their motivations back then centered around their wish for me to get into a top university and study to be a doctor or engineer, but I fell in love with music as I practiced and performed year after year. It might sound a little cheesy, but I felt the notes and melodies so deeply; improvising songs on our home piano just poured out of me. It still does when I sit down in my music studio in Los Angeles — even on a keyboard without weighted keys.

I think what sets me apart is my ability to take my emotions and translate them into unique songs fairly quickly. My friends call my style uniquely “MALSI,” as in, “oh, this is a MALSI (italicized) track.” When I create a song, I’m often experimenting as I create the song. When I fall into more regimented creative patterns, I’m never quite as happy with the song’s result.

I also tie in my culture into my music, especially now that I’ve gained the self-efficacy to write and sing original music in Bangla. As a first generation Bangladeshi American, that’s what I’ve been the most proud of: not losing my culture or first language to assimilation and being able to entangle it with my R&B/electrosoul music. I also appreciate my diehard fans for following my journey and encouraging every risk I take with my music. I think they have a lot to look forward to coming from me in the near future.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m passionate about building equity for historically marginalized communities (BIPOC, AAPI, LGBTQIA+) and I believe education is the most salient piece to creating equitable opportunities and spaces for said communities. I double-majored in Sociology and Theatre in college, and earned my Master of Education in Learning Design and Technology (LDT) this past May. Both programs were centered on understanding, evaluating, and supporting communities that have been consistently underserved in the States. And, to build on my own understanding at the international level, I traveled to underserved communities in Belize to deepen my learning as well. This was all prompted by my first trip to Bangladesh when I was ten years old, where I observed the true meaning of poverty.

Observing and understanding the hardships these communities face inspired and motivated me to make a difference — whether it was teaching, building learning experiences, or creating music. Every song I’ve created has been motivated by my desire to not only learn the craft of music production but also to spread messages of empowerment, love, and peace. And as a young Bangladeshi American woman artist, I recognize how important my role is here: to empower my fellow WOC to pursue and achieve their dreams as well.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There are many ways society can best support artists, so I’ll list some of my opinions below:

1) Share your favorite artists creative work, especially if they’re still growing! On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, at events and in-person gatherings — all of it. Word of mouth goes a long, long way.

2) Pay your artists. Businesses should pay their musicians/DJs/performance artists from the get-go, rather than pay-to-play and other hyper capitalistic forms of “compensation.”

3) Donate to growing artists when you can. Whether it’s via Patreon, PayPal, or just straight up Venmo/cash. Being an artist is expensive.

4) If your favorite artists (again, especially if they’re growing) are playing shows, go support them! Buy a ticket, invite a friend or few, and y’all go have fun.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.musicbymalsi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicbymalsi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicbymalsi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwhQpp1uLpbl1M0MZHoEulQ

Image Credits
Photographers: Stephanie Jacobs; Jake Fiedler, Simpatico Pictured: MALSI, 818 SUKI (Sailor Jupiter music video)