Professional Singer —performances on National TV and the Royal Albert Hall. First-Class Honours degree in Popular Music and Voice Performance. Experienced in teaching singing, piano, & songwriting.

Find out more about Marilena

• 1) When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I was always involved with music from a very young age, ever since I can remember really. I remember being around 5 years old and always putting Madonna on and singing along with the music videos.
  
  My favourite instrument is definitely the voice, because I feel like it’s so connected to who we are as people. We use it in our daily life all the time, to communicate and express our profoundest emotions, it is such a personal instrument.

• 2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  Mariah Carey, no debate about it!
  
  Apart from having an exceptional voice, Mariah is also an amazing songwriter, and I don’t think she gets enough credit for that. I really admire her pen and her lyrics are 10/10. I love the way she combines lyrics and meaning with her melodies. Her vocal skills and stylistic choices are also out of this world. Everything always feels so elegant and well placed.
  
  She’s a true master of her art, and I’m fascinated by her every single time I listen to her music.

• 3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  One of the most challenging and rewarding things I can teach is vocal technique and helping a student really understand and develop their own voice.
  
  Singing is much more than simply hitting the right notes. There is so much involved in learning how to use your voice in a healthy and effective way, from breathing and support to resonance, range, tone and control. Every voice is different, so I find it really interesting to work out what works best for each individual student rather than trying to teach everyone in exactly the same way.
  
  I also think the most exciting part is seeing a student become more confident in their voice and eventually use it to express themselves freely. That transformation is one of the things I find most rewarding in teaching.

• 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I would probably say the voice. Unlike most instruments, your voice is part of your body, so there is no way to simply pick it up and put it down. It is constantly affected by things like your physical condition, emotions, breathing, and even your mental state.
  
  There are also so many different elements involved in mastering the voice, from pitch, breath control and resonance to tone, range, dynamics and articulation. And because every voice is completely unique, there isn’t one technique that works exactly the same way for everyone.
  
  What makes it even more complicated is that the voice is always changing. You have to keep learning, adapting and sometimes even re-learning how to use it throughout your life in order to keep it healthy and in form. It is an instrument that is a part of you, and for that, you need to be in touch and honest with yourself. I think that’s what makes the voice such a fascinating and rewarding instrument to master.

• 5) What are your keys to success?

  I think my biggest keys to success are consistency, dedication and being willing to put the work in. A lot of people want to improve, but not everyone is willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to actually get there. There is no substitute for practice, especially in music.
  
  All the masters and exceptional performances that you see are the outcome of countless hours of practice and refinement. People generally tend to forget that. They might come to me wanting to sound like Christina Aguilera or Adele, but they don’t always realise that they also need to adopt the same work ethic, consistency and dedication that those artists have put into developing their craft.
  
  I also think curiosity and a willingness to keep learning are really important. I don’t believe you ever truly stop learning as a musician. There is always something new to discover, improve or understand.
  
  Talent can take you somewhere, but if you’re not willing to put the effort in, somebody with half your talent who is consistent and puts the time in will sooner or later outperform you. Consistency, hard work and dedication are what really make the difference.

• 6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Max Martin.
  
  1.) I’d love to ask Mariah Carey about her songwriting, melodies and her creative process. I’m fascinated by the way she combines her lyrics, melodies, vocal skills and stylistic choices, and I would love to hear how she approaches creating a song.
  
  2.) With Lady Gaga, I would want to have a more personal conversation about her journey and rise to fame. I’d love to hear about her early years in music, the difficulties she faced when she was trying to make it, and how she dealt with the setbacks along the way. I’d really like to know kept her going when things were difficult, what motivated her to keep going and believing in herself, and what advice she would give to someone who is trying to find their place in the music industry.
  
  3.) Max Martin is one of my favourite songwriters (if you don’t know him, give him a Google search and see that he created most hits we know so far!). I’ve listened to many of his interviews, and I feel like he has a lot of wisdom and a very special & gifted approach to creating music. As a songwriter myself, I would love to hear him talk about songwriting and pop music and learn more about the way he thinks about creating and bringing a song to life. His understanding of melody, structure, hooks and what makes a song connect with people is incredible. I’d probably end up asking him about so many hits he’s written & the process in the studio!

• 7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  “The expert in anything was once a beginner. Every pro started as an amateur. Every icon began as an unknown.”
  
  I think this is something that is very important to remember, especially in music. It’s easy to look at an exceptional singer or musician and forget that they once had to learn the very basics too. I always remind my students that they are capable of developing far beyond what they might initially think is possible, as long as they are willing to put the work in.

• 8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I think what makes me a Superprof is that I genuinely care about every individual student. I take the time to understand what each student wants to achieve, what they enjoy, what they struggle with and how they learn best.
  
  I also try to make my lessons a space where students feel comfortable experimenting, making mistakes and asking questions without feeling judged. I work in a way that helps my students leave each lesson feeling like they have learned something new, but also feeling encouraged and motivated to keep going.
  
  For me, the little touches are in the details. Remembering what a student struggled with the previous week, noticing small improvements, adapting an exercise because something isn’t working for them, finding a song that I know they will genuinely enjoy, or sometimes even giving a pep-talk. I think those little things are what make teaching personal, and ultimately, what makes someone a Superprof!