Estimated Reading Time | 7 minutes 30 seconds

About Sabrina  

My name is Sabrina Sapal and I am a singer-songwriter/fusion artist. I sing and write songs of many genres, but not limited to EDM, World, and Fusion genres. I base a lot of my songwriting on personal life experiences and my colorful imagination. I also love composing melodies for my songs. My heritage is Indian, so I sometimes love incorporating Eastern music elements into my work.  I also work with music producers all around the world, most recently I have been creating pieces in Canada and Europe. 

*Update*

Sabrina recently released Maharaja, Mast Malang, and has an upcoming song with DJ Dark and Mentol from Europe called ‘Mahiya’ releasing soon. She has has songs with millions of streams and views so do follow her social media accounts for her musical releases. 

IG |  SabrinaKSapal

Youtube | Sabrina Sapal

How did your singing Journey begin?

My singing journey started when I was just a toddler singing along to Bollywood songs in my car seat of my father’s car. I never had formal training until much later in western music. I began singing at local festivals at the age of 6. Later on, I got myself more familiar with a variety of genres and made some worthy connections in the industry. I officially entered the professional singing industry just a few years ago. Everything happened very organically. I always knew what my goals were and there was never any questioning in my mind about whether I wanted to pursue singing as a career. Social media platforms helped me connect with other artists around the world with who I have collaborated and other industry professionals. I then visited Mumbai for the first time a few years ago and that’s when everything I dreamt of began to come true. Me and my team shot ‘Shauq Marran Da’ and ‘Mast Malang.’ Both of these songs have millions of hits on YouTube. These songs gave me a lot of leverage and that’s when I was approached substantially more by record labels and producers to create more projects. I’ve also collaborated with Thrace Music from Romania for the song ‘Maharaja,’ for an international fusion project. This song also has over a million hits on YouTube. The journey is still in the works. I have currently just shot two music videos for TMC Records Worldwide based in Toronto. These music videos will be out soon. 

What does your day-to-day look like and how often do you practice your music?

No two days are the same for a creative person. Our industry is so unpredictable. There have been times where I have found out just hours before that I need to get on a flight to another city. Some days have more meetings than others. I practice my music every day, whether it’s a formal array of vocal exercises or even if it is singing along to challenging songs throughout the day. I feel that even listening to genres which I’m not too familiar with is a practice within itself because a passionate musician is a good listener. I analyze minuscule details in different types of music and learn from the elements that have been applied in those songs. 

What is your mindset when you go about creating music?

I go in with a very open mind. I am very experimental and I love all genres of music. Every collaborative project has a different approach, but the most common process is a music producer will send me an instrumental. While listening to the instrumental a few times I use my imagination and live in the song. I don’t listen to a song, I literally imagine myself living in it and creating scenarios like a film in my mind. Once I have a good idea of what the song demands, I begin to create the vocal melody. After the vocal melody is created, I write lyrics on top of it. I then record the vocals at my home studio and send the vocals back to the music producer for the next technical steps such as sending the song to a mixing engineer. 

Did you face more struggles starting out in the industry or while being in the industry?

I have faced many struggles which have shaped me as a person and as an artist. I have learned so much from good and bad situations. It has also helped me work even harder in order to pursue my goals. I still face struggles to this day because I am having to deal with so many different types of personalities. I would say the struggles are different while starting out in the industry and being in it, but they are equally difficult in their own ways.

What is it like being in a field you are so passionate about?

It is like I am living my dream every day. After a long and difficult day, I feel so satisfied. I am so grateful to be living in a country which has so many rights and opportunities. I have had the chance to perform in so many countries. Although I still have a long way to go and there are many challenges along the way, I never lose sight of my goals and aspirations. 

How important is it to find your own voice?

It is very important during the “grooming stage.” The “grooming stage” is what the industry likes to call the stage of a new artist who has freshly stepped into the industry and constantly gets criticized, but with those criticisms, there is a lot of self-awareness that takes place. An artist gets to know what they are good at and not good at. They get to know what they need to work on. Nowadays a commercial recording artist not only has to make sure their skills are polished but also their image. So during the “grooming stage”, you get to learn about which types of clothing or styles suit an artist. Finding your voice to me means polishing one’s skills and knowing which type of songs suit my voice and which don’t. This comes with experience. 

What do you do as self-care for yourself?

As for self-care, I know that my body is sensitive and that my immune system is not so strong. I do not consume alcohol, cigarettes, and recreational drugs at all. On days where I am performing, I do not consume iced beverages, oily foods, or dairy products as they all affect my voice negatively. I also stay physically active by going to the gym/yoga daily. This helps with stamina, good lung capacity, and overall good health. 

Do you have any advice for people starting out in this industry?

First of all, thank you for considering me to have enough credibility to be asked this question. I would say that education in music is so important whether it is formal or just doing your own homework by studying different genres. Take advantage of the sources in your local community such as community theaters, school choirs, bands, orchestras, which are either free or very inexpensive. If you have the means then do hire a vocal instructor or musical instrument teacher. Collaborate with other artists because you can learn so much from others. Use social media! It is a free platform to showcase your talent and you can make connections with people who will help you climb the ladder in the industry. Be open-minded and never think that you have enough knowledge. Be a good listener. Talk less and listen more. 

How are you?

For the first time in a long time I am feeling at peace with myself. I am content because I’m constantly evolving and learning.