Hello fellow music lovers! My name is Dasha and I am a New York based vocalist and songwriter. I bring the positive vibes, free spirit and story telling from my life into my music. Any beat you throw my way, I'll write a catchy top line and some awesome harmonies along with it! Let's make hits and change the music industry together!!
I mainly write pop, EDM, and urban-pop tracks, but I am willing to branch out and collaborate in new genres. I am super outgoing/bubbly and my goal is to bring that positivity and good vibes to the session and my music. I think its important to collaborate with other motivated and open minded musicians like myself and bounce ideas and emotions off of each other to create the most genuine and unique lyrics. My strong suit is my ability to quickly think of catchy hooks and top lines along with a variety of harmonies. I am willing to also help with the production and composition of the tracks we make.
The only thing I ask from you is some sort of compensation for my time and effort (publishing/copyrights/pay). I am always up to negotiate these terms, but I think its important that we are both giving each other the right amount of credit for our time and effort. I charge for my vocals and writing based on my time that I give to work on these tracks. I believe in quality over quantity! Also, I have my own professional mic and Logic/Garageband where I can record great sounding stems and send them right over to you, or I am willing to come to you and record in your studio!
If you're interested in what I offer, shoot me an email and lets make some hits!! :)
I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.
Interview with Dasha Akelin
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am starting to wrap up my final tweaks of my first EP (releasing in early 2017)! I am also in the process of songwriting for other producers and singers within my network.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: No, I am very new to this site but am super excited to become a member of this community.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise that I will give you all of my time, effort and genuine emotion towards every track that we will do together. I also guarantee you that we will have a great time doing it and that we will both be very proud of our final result!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: A lot of my friends and family don't understand how hard and time consuming writing a great song can be. They only hear the final result on the radio and don't really think about how much emotion and time it takes. The behind the scenes and creation is the best part and the end result is the reward and celebration.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure you and that person are on the same page, that you have a good connection and you're both looking for the same outcome!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My headphones, iPhone, charger, pop filter, laptop.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I knew I wanted to be in the music industry since I started high school when I got my first lead in the chorus concert. I felt a sense of release of emotion through my singing and I knew that I didn't want to do anything else with my life. I have been singing and writing since I was about 14 or 15 years old, but throughout the years I have had the pleasure of working with such talented people and expanding my knowledge and skills.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I tend to write tracks with a darker and more unique urban sound. I love emitting the emotions I feel within that moment or about that specific story and portray that with my vocals and with my writing. Therefore, I would say my style is more urban pop.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Justin Timberlake because he is extremely talented and has been successful in this industry for so many years and I know that I would learn so much from him. He is a very genuine artist and has an overwhelming amount of skills. He also has a great head on his shoulders with the business, so this is very inspiring for an upcoming artists like myself.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Make sure that when you are writing or producing a song, that you are in a comfortable and open environment. And never give up! You might go through some writing blocks, but that is totally normal. Take a day to rest and come back to it and I promise you'll find the right message and melody.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop, EDM, and Urban Pop.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I believe my strongest skill is my vocal melodies, top liners and harmonies.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring my strong melodies, harmonies and my ability to tell a story in any song I write. I like to take my time to make sure each line makes sense in the story and that each melody sticks to me like glue. If I find myself singing that melody over and over again, then I know I've done my job. I am a very genuine and bubbly person and I love to bring that emotion to my music.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: If I have the luxury of being in the studio with the producer or other songwriters, I listen to the beat they have (or start from scratch and make our own beats together) and hum until I find the right melody we like for the hook. Then, I take that melody and discuss the message and story we are trying to tell and use that to create the perfect top line and hook. Once I have the hook down, I create a melody for the verses/bridge and put a story to those as well. Once its all written, I get behind the mic and lay the vocals down. Then we comp, do some doubles, harmonies and ad libs and BAM its ready to be tweaked and mixed.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: As of now, I do not have my own studio set up, but I usually record music on my professional microphone with my pop filter on a stand hooked up to my convertor and into my laptop. I usually use Garageband to record my vocal stems to send to producers. But, I mainly work out of my producer's studio.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I think the most influential musician and human being for me has to be Mr. Bob Marley. Not only is his music honest, genuine, and inspirational, but it is extremely catchy and infectious. Although I do not write reggae music, I definitely connect with his free spirit and simple writing, but still am able to connect to those genuine emotions.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I mostly do composition of vocals and harmonies. I also specialize in top liners, hooks, and lyric songwriting for a variety of genres within the Pop world.
- Singer - FemaleContact for pricing
- Top line writer (vocal melody)Contact for pricing
- Songwriter - LyricContact for pricing
- Songwriter - MusicContact for pricing
