Meet Katerina Tolkishevskaya | Music Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katerina Tolkishevskaya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katerina, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I think we are all conditioned by social media to feel like we’re never good enough, don’t make enough money, aren’t successful enough – that we are not enough. It’s glorifying “the grind”, the hustle, the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” culture. But the truth is – you’re always enough, and I think realizing that changed my work/life balance a lot. Understanding that taking time to rest, to pause, is not the same as being lazy or not doing your best to achieve your goals. Quite the opposite, rest allows you to work more efficiently, come up with creative ideas and keep your mental health in check. It’s so easy to burn out these days if you feel like you’re constantly chasing success, but I think that staying present and grounded makes your work so much more enjoyable.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a music editor for film and TV. I’m most proud our sound team’s recent Golden Reel award win for outstanding sound editing (non theatrical feature) for The Ultimate Playlist of Noise (Hulu). The whole team for that film was just outstanding and such a pleasure to work with, and I think the end result is a testimony to their professionalism and love for film and storytelling. I’m excited for new projects, after last year’s lockdowns I’m looking forward to get back to a more regular schedule hopefully.

Regarding how I got to where I am today professionally… No I wouldn’t say it was easy, it definitely came with a lot of challenges and curveballs. But I think overall I just always tried to do what felt right, even if it seemed very difficult at the time. I think if you follow what feels right for you, you will always figure it out one day at a time, step by step. You could make all the “easy” choices but in the end, if it’s not where your heart is, you’ll never be happy with it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them to El Matador for a chill beach day, it’s one of my favorites. Maybe a nice little hike in Baldwin Hills to get a good view of the city as well. I’d take them to downtown Culver to get ice cream from Salt & Straw, I love that whole area. I think Burbank Taco truck is an absolute must if they ever open back up! LA has so much to offer, I think in lockdowns I’ve just gotten used to spending much more time outdoors in nature and some good home cooking 🙂

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout would 100% go to Liquid Cinema – one of the top music libraries in the US. The whole team has become like family to me over the years and I have no idea where I’d be without their support and encouragement.

Instagram: @peoniimusic