Openly celebrating the Jubilee: about bullying, Zvonkus’ first message on Facebook and motherhood that has slowed her career

“I spent the first ten years in a beautiful, prosperous town. There are probably few of them left now. People loved the land, their farm, each other and did not rush to travel to the entire world. He saw his happiness and the fullness of life where he was born. Growing up in such an environment, I loved nature, I experienced a direct connection to it. And I constantly felt the warm care of the members of the rural family. I am the youngest in the family. I have two older sisters. They took care of me and raised me with my parents.

As with all children, one of the most surprising impressions was first grade. For some reason, my parents decided to shave me naked before I went to school … And it became a kind of curse of mine that finally made me who I am now. Then I experienced many teasing from my classmates, it was complex … I ran to comfort my mother, who worked as a secretary at the same school. Finally, it hardened me. Without that situation, you probably wouldn’t have as much desire and stubbornness as you could.

The first grade also gave positive things, which finally weighed on me: the school choir director noticed me. He saw the beginnings of talent in me and noticed that he was interesting, brave and ready to make music. That was the beginning. By singing, I found the best comfort from bullying, ”said Katažina.

Also, of course, a woman distinguishes between the knowledge of God and the church: the first communion.

“It was also my first touch with the guitar strings. Still completely in children’s hands.

In 1988, my two sisters went to study. And as an additional conference for arts education for them was playing the chosen musical instrument. Clearly, he wanted easy-to-carry instruments that didn’t cause too much inconvenience.

Alicia chose a bagpipe and Lily chose a guitar. And my parents bought that guitar that immediately interested me a lot. While my sister studied, she kept presenting “show me, show me.” She showed me three chords that I hooked on and kept trying, scratching and delivering the chords. Seeing on television how other musicians put their fingers together, I tried to imitate … And with that great enthusiasm, I jumped into the next decade of my life, “said the singer.

– The second decade of your life transports us from the Soviet Union to a free Lithuania. To our “ninety savages”. What trail have those times left on the path of your life?

– Oh … this has been the most exciting decade here. An absolute start for everything. For ten years I had not been separated from a guitar for a day. My friends and I started recording something on a cassette recorder. I began to sing and dance more and more actively, giving concerts with the school group. The ensemble was huge, about 160 children, we played music, folk dances and performed regularly at festivities in our area.

We often went to Poland for concerts. Then I became a kind of star, soul of that team, I was appreciated and loved by the leaders of the school. And then I realized I was in the spotlight! Bullying and name calling were no longer as painful as I found myself in other things. Then I began to express myself even more enthusiastically in the whole church. And I didn’t realize how I started practically directing all the musical action.

The brother priests were very supportive of my enthusiasm and allowed me to regulate my own activities. Yes, for twelve years, I have actually been a manager, I have formed a team, I have played the repertoire, I have courageously assumed responsibility. It was loaded with songs from Poland, some of which immediately indicated chords, making learning easy. In some places, there were chord charts that made it easier to find a finger. So I went from three chords to almost a dozen: I was very hooked, eager to learn every invisible innovation.

Singing in church, holding onto a guitar, has become my routine. No need to worry because it is not a contest. I simply sang for my own pleasure, praying in the language of music. No one needed to prove anything while pulling and barking at the nightingale. But over time, of course, he began to want something more. More solo parts, more new repertoire, maybe more variety …

And that “more” soon came to my patio. The big opportunity was an accidental conversation between my friend’s father and my mother: “Look, a talented and musical daughter, why don’t you let her go to music school?”

And for us, the capital seemed like another world … The idea seemed difficult to implement. And how to drive, how to drive? There were only three bus trips a day. He was only thirteen years old. But that good uncle offered to take me there with his daughter. It goes, here he only kisses his hands, thanks d The schedules did not always coincide, but he always took care of me. Thanks to that person, he managed to implement this impossible mission, because living in a village 30 km from Vilnius, attending a music school several days a week was quite a bold decision.

So, I started studying fr. In the accordion class of the Jonušas School of Music. I came to a brutally good teacher, the best of those who were there. I studied there for three and a half years, he was probably the oldest student, so big, because all the children went from six to seven years old and I from thirteen to fourteen.

And then the teacher suggested to me, or maybe we are trying to enter the J. Tallat-Kelpša Conservatory? I say, “Are you kidding? I’m still completely green,” and she says. We’re going to put together a five-track show over the summer. It won’t work, it won’t work. “

For that reason, I passed the exams in high school as an external student, and in one year I completed the eleventh and twelfth grades, so that I could spend more of myself and my time preparing for admission (although I didn’t really know if would be successful). I worked very hard during the summer, in addition to private solfege classes. My parents had nothing to pay, I paid for eggs, milk, sour milk, pork and butter. I was riding in a stretch of heat. I was playing, getting ready. And I joined.

Another important line is that around the same time I met my parents’ friends, whose son Vitalijus also played music. He had listened to me in church and one day he said to me: “I am also playing a little bit, singing, maybe we are trying to make an ensemble together?”

We meet several times, we try to play music, sing. Something from the Polish, from the Russian repertoire … And I really liked it a lot. Because it was a new genre for me. No more classics, folk music or religious works, but pop songs. And little by little, that activity began to take me longer and longer. That guy’s parents had a little cafeteria, our first show there took place.

He was only fourteen years old. He is with keyboards, I am with a microphone, etc. I listened to the friends of the people. Someone also left town. Someone offered us to sing on one birthday, on another, at a wedding … Very soon everything became a constant burden on the weekends. At seventeen he already sang every Friday, Saturday at various personal or public celebrations. I had already brought money home, I no longer had to ask my parents.

I bought my microphone, a computer, and other necessary technical details for the artist. I bought phonograms from other ball musicians. I gave him a song to rewrite for twenty litas. It was a difficult, hard-working, but beautiful period, full of youthful maximalism. I can’t imagine where he had so much strength and desire. It used to be: I go back to the fifth morning tired of the wedding, and at half past nine in the morning I already need to be with the guitar in church. And to the church: half an hour on foot. I pushed the guitar over my shoulder and leaned over without falling asleep. I wanted to get everything out of life. I was present wherever I was invited and wherever I guessed. Paid, free, it doesn’t matter. Just let me sing

I even worked a few hours a week at the Medininkai Culture House. He was an art director. I participated in the organization of neighborhood festivals, I turned around somehow … I already paid enough repertoire, so I easily adapted to each occasion.

So I joined the J. Tallat-Kelpša Conservatory, which seemed like space … Those five years of study were especially difficult. He had only attended a music school for three and a half years, when most of the students had attended those schools for seven or at least five years. I had to put in twice as much effort as everyone else to keep myself desperate.

As I studied in the accordion class, it became increasingly clear that this instrument was unlikely to be with me for life. The heart was still leaning towards singing, and there was already a lot of activity with a microphone in hand. One day the teacher sat me down and said, “Darling, we have to finish this school. I understand that you will not eat accordion bread, but let’s finish. “I was very embarrassed by this … I realized that I was” making a shawl “, without paying enough attention to the instrument. I got together, somehow I prepared for the final exams I played, graduated from the J. Tallat-Kelpša Conservatory and played the accordion in the country.

– And here we are moving into the 21st century. What is the third decade of your life marked?

– From an early age I was told that it is important to finish higher education. I was never a schoolgirl or a pioneer, but I tried to be responsible. I realized that another activity was also needed. That I can’t be addicted to vacations alone. So I decided that I had to study a little more science. And so I found myself at the Pedagogical University (now the University of Education).

Although she loved that she definitely wouldn’t be a teacher. My two sisters were already working as teachers and one day I sat down and asked myself: what else could I do? I can’t do anything anymore … I would like to make music, logically the idea came up to study music pedagogy in order to be a music teacher. I reconciled that this is my future. At the age of 21-22 years, while still studying, I started looking for a pedagogical job. I bravely went to Polish schools and asked: do you have a job for me? And I almost got a positive response in the first school! A month later I had a full charge. Even later, I also received an educational class.

So, at various educational institutions, she was a music teacher, a classroom teacher, and even led extracurricular activities for the singing ensemble. By the way, everything went well. The experience of leading a group of churches has been very useful. And it was comfortable filling up all week: I work on weekdays at schools and sing at parties on weekends. I managed to organize the schedule for not having classes on Monday mornings and I could fall asleep a bit more after a noisy weekend.

And so I honestly taught that decade. Also, together with a colleague, we were able to gather a group of older women “Ale Babki”, it still exists, women from 50 to 80 years sing there. Turns out I had four jobs at a time, and I could still spend some free time with my friends and the shadows of my youth.

By the way, at that time I was already noticed by the Polish regional television and radio programs and the press. He was confused somewhere and was already something known and recognizable in the Polish-Russian social bubble of the Vilnius region. It gave me extra value and in 2008, at the age of twenty-eight, I already dared to give my solo concert. Many encouraged, urged, and eventually prepared for it.

I knew my friends would definitely come, at least I would sing to them. I already had many acquaintances: I knew who to talk to at the Polish Cultural Center, to borrow equipment, lighting, I knew many aspects of the organizational work and all the knowledge and acquaintances were very useful. Many things managed to get a cost or even free.

We put tickets on sale, we prepared various numbers, Poles, Gypsies, Russians, we included dancers, we staged, we rehearsed, I was ready to talk between songs, I prepared various wishes and jokes. I tried to make each song a kind of mini show. And in preparation I learned that all tickets were exchanged … 500 tickets

Then the organizers released an additional quantity: chairs and stands to be delivered. And so the first disaster of my life happened ‼! I was like in space … The technical compliance may not have been perfect, but the general atmosphere hypnotized me, everyone applauded, asked me to repeat, I drowned in a sea of ​​flowers … In the small apartment where I lived, those flowers hardly fit. In the morning I woke up like in a botanical garden. I was happy with the moon and back. Local newspapers, radio stations and the press …

But then, without much praise, I heard a comment from many people that one thing was missing from the entire fantastic event: at least one of my songs. And until then, I had sung songs or works from repertoire brochures of other artists all my life. Brand’s need for greater self-expression: I realized that fans are expecting that from me. That I have support. With those thoughts and expectations, I have reached the next decade of my life.

Listen to Katažina’s latest work:

– The last decade of your life has been marked by an important professional leap. From a music teacher, you suddenly broke into the biggest TV channels in Lithuania, you became known and loved across the country … You released two music albums. He has also received important events in the personal space: the wedding and the birth of twins.

– I feel that God loves me very much, because I constantly meet the right people. I’m just lucky. Maybe it’s the return of God for my tribute to the church from childhood. Someone told me that when a prayer is sung, it gains more weight, becomes twice as effective. That is probably what happened to me.

So, when I was thirty years old, I was already marking the next stage, my debut album and my solo concert with the original, already with my music program. And such a thing seemed completely impossible. Everything was determined again, by regular coincidences.

Behind the scenes of an event, I met Beata Vilkin from the Funky band and told her that I would like to have my own repertoire, but I cannot create it myself and I envy the people who can. I jokingly suggested that he write me something. And she started and accepted … After that conversation, the entire album was born in less than a year … I already recorded it with two well-known Lithuanian producers: Mindaugas Lapinskis and Stanas.

By the way, I already asked Deivydas Zvonkus for songs through acquaintances, but I was too busy. Naturally, I became more interested in the Lithuanian pop scene, which I knew quite a bit. And I started to organize an album presentation concert in the old Theater Arena. I met wonderful people: the journalist Svajūnas Marcinkevičienė, who helped with the dissemination of information, the choreographer Šarūnas Kirdeikis, who added her professional hand to the choreography and set design, the stylist Austėja Jablonskytė helped with the clothes and costumes.

Once again, some acquaintances were skeptical of this ambition of mine. But I, as always, was stubborn. I invested practically all the money I had and still borrowed a bit … I was also able to invite some famous faces to the show: Karina Krysko danced with Saulius with Saul Skinis and didn’t ask for a penny … Stano himself participated and saw that my at the concert, a packed room, for almost fifteen hundred people (he was one of those skeptics who discouraged me). The end result redeemed every sleepless night became another very important step forward.

The connection with Stano took me further: he invited me to the television project “Choir Wars”, where I participated with the Vilnius International Silver Choir at the beginning of the 2011 season. People of different nationalities gathered for the choir, so I was perfect as representative of the Poles. Somewhere behind the scenes, my eyes met my future husband, David, more often then.

He already recognized me, greeted me, received me in the city. So I still couldn’t suspect that the time would come when we would say hello every day. But, in the summer of the same year, he was able to invite me for coffee over Facebook. And since then, we start to communicate more and more often. For me, it was quite an unexpected turn, because he had already ruled me out: I doubted if I would be able to accept someone who accepts me as I am. In fact, it was already obvious in Senmerge, used to the rhythm of my lonely life and I wasn’t ready to apply myself to something. But again, God loves me: I have a man who is also a composer and publisher of music for television.

In fact, in practice, there have been several milestones in a year that have determined my entire life in the last decade: the first solo show with a post-concert performance, participation in a television project, followed by other television offerings. . I did not leave the screen for a decade, and I met my future husband and father of children

Suddenly I made myself known throughout Lithuania: I came out of my Slavic bubble in the Vilnius region. I took a breath of fresh air and another new world opened up for me. A little more elegant, more fashionable, more interesting, different from what I was used to … Television began to shape me, to educate me, I discovered new colors of my personality.

In the next season of Choir Wars, I was already participating with the choir I directed, with which we got second place! In the same year, my partner Dainius Dimša became the winners of the LNK dance project “I invite you to dance. It sparked passion. “Natalija Bunkė invited me to the joint group of famous women” Pop Ladies “. With her, we participated in the” Star Duets “, where my partner Jonas Jonušs took second place.

After that, I was a teacher-judge at LNK Lietuvos raft for two seasons. Periodically I recorded new Lithuanian songs, looking for a suitable direction for such a repertoire. David saw my desire and believed in me: he began to analyze me carefully, to hit me for the accent, the eloquence, the general understanding of the laws of the entertainment world. And he consistently supported me with his behind-the-scenes presence, honest advice and criticism.

I constantly enjoyed learning something, feeling progress. I will not lie, there were also many tears, because I am a sensitive person. Maybe even too sensitive to the details of the show’s business … David’s constant care and moral support allowed me to stumble again and move on to my dream, seek, believe … This led to my second album, whose songs they became very popular and now make up the majority of my concert repertoire. .

Also, perhaps the most important event of the last decade and my entire life was the birth of a wedding and twins. He crowned the way of life that had taken place until then and “closed the last button.” Pregnancy and motherhood of course led to a pause in the race, but after that we managed to get back on stage with double strength. And to organize a solo concert tour of Lithuania!

The tour was especially successful, the hallways were full or full, I felt like I was flying … Combining such activities with young children is certainly not easy, but the applause, the smiles and the positive energy of the audience carry me very strong . Surviving, I feel like I’m on the right track. I sit down, and that is very important to me. I want to thank you for all the love of listeners by giving them double love back. Today I present my new video for the song “Life Begins at 40” to fans.