Shine by Margarita Shamrakov

After living in Kiev with my mom, and eating 3 times a day oatmeal, America seemed like the opportunity from Heaven. My dad, whom I've seen only few times in my life invited me to come to the US. I came when I was 17 years old, leaving my grandma my mom, my friends, and everything I knew up to this point- in the Ukraine. I came not knowing what to expect. My mom and my dad divorced when I was born and I did not get a chance to grow up with my dad being by my side. In the US, I knew that my music had no chance - I am from the Ukraine, I am an immigrant, I don't speak english, there is no chance. I started pursuing medicine, then film, then philosophy and psychology. I started out in Hunter College with all F's, I was put on probation, however I ended up graduating with all A's. Even-though I was trying to avoid music, to erase music and art from my life, still music would always pursue me. I always wrote songs, even if there was no one to listen to them. Finally I sent one of my songs to the John Lennon Songwriting Competition sponsored by BMI, where my song Tragedy won the first place!!! And I've met Yoko Ono - this was the happiest moment of my life and I feel that I was blessed to get a chance to be close to John Lennon, Yoko Ono, andThe Beatles. Can you believe? I won and yet I had no one to share my joy with. It felt very lonely at the same time. . I started recording album after album, just trying to get all my songs down. I started playing lots of shows, all over New York, 3 times almost got signed to a Record Label. Got a chance to become friends with Arif Mardin (producer of Bee Gee's. Norah Jones). Finally I've met a great producer Mike Anzel, with whom we created an original sound, and I am recording my 4th Album - called"Tragedy". I want to distribute this album and make many copies, make it available to the public by myself, and not to wait for a Record Label to tap me on my shoulder. It is very important to me. I believe my music has an important message, that you gotta believe in yourself, that no one knows what the future holds, that life is precious, we are all lost and found at the same time, and that we are all searching for answers... Art is very important to life, because without art we would become extremely bored, life would loose meaning, life would loose vision, purpose. We well eat, sleep, go to work, and this routine eventually will bore us. But music, and art make us feel something that is impossible to say with words, impossible to translate, because Music and art speak to our souls. And there is no need for translator. Music awakens our soul, it awakens our higher meaning, higher intellect, higher emotion, and lifts us up from the routine, and thus creates meaning above "just existing in the world", making us to strife for more in everything we do. It is a revelation of a deeper meaning. In the future I see myself having a Record Label, starting Company that will help out young artist. I see myself making movies - this has been my passion for a long time. I see myself helping out poor people all over the world.

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