Meet MANOELA WUNDER | Musician (multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter)

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

Hi MANOELA, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
When I was about 10 years old, I played a solo violin concerto with my hometown orchestra in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the end of the concert, an elderly woman approached me crying and thanked me for my moving performance. I remember telling my grandmother in that moment that I wanted to be a violinist because I wanted to touch people the way I had touched this woman I had just met.

Throughout my childhood, I was not the most disciplined student and had a habit of procrastinating. I also wanted to ensure I was making my own career choice. I flip-flopped between at least half a dozen options, not all of them creative ones. Finally, I reached my senior year and realized that being anything other than a musician was not an alternative. I fully embraced my artistic pursuits and never looked back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My sound definitely sets me apart from other artists; it’s a combination of my musical background and diverse influences. Being classically trained, I bring an element of that into my playing. Being born and raised in Brazil, I bring Latin syncopated rhythms into my writing. I am most excited about this sonic melting pot, as well as the deep personal stories I share in my lyrics. Professionally, I had established myself as a freelance violinist in LA for over 10 years before starting to write and record my own music. As a freelancer, you can never take work for granted and you have to constantly hustle to avoid being forgotten by contractors. Similarly, as a singer-songwriter, you have to find as many opportunities as possible to perform so your music is heard as often as possible. You are also juggling so many different balls, and finding time for everything (especially in a huge city like LA) is truly challenging. Taking care of yourself emotionally, physically and mentally are the keys to being set up for success. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way is to stay true to my artistic voice. My sound is very unique and might not appeal to a mass audience the way mainstream pop or hip-hop does, however trying to please a wide audience and losing my voice in the process would be a disservice to who I am as an artist and would probably greatly diminish my chances of success.

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 make sure I took them to a wide range of neighborhoods so they could experience the cultural diversity of LA! I would also take them to different beaches and on a variety of hikes. The Mt. Lee hike is my favorite city hike because it gets you right behind the Hollywood Sign and gives you a panoramic view of the city that stretches out to the ocean on a clear day. I love the equestrian trails in Palos Verdes, and some of the hikes in Malibu offer a different angle of the city due to their close proximity to the sea. The Malibu Farm restaurant on the pier is my favorite restaurant in that area, and there is plenty to see within walking distance. LA has wonderful museums, so depending on their interest I would pick a few such as the Getty, LACMA, one of the modern art museums downtown, one of the museums at the EXPO center, etc. LA also has wonderful botanical gardens, and as far as food there are countless ethnic neighborhoods that we could explore. At night we could venture to some of the rooftop bars downtown or in West Hollywood or Venice, as well as check out live music at some of the local venues such as the Echo and Silverlake Lounge. Time permitting, we could also go to neighboring counties and even San Diego or Santa Barbara.

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?
One of the books that has most inspired me is Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” It teaches you how to build and maintain relationships, and being in the entertainment industry I have learned that cultivating relationships is one of the keys to having a long-lasting career.

Website: https://manoelawunder.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wunderlandmusic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manoela-wunder-08505229/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ManoelaWunder

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wunderlandmusicproductions/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1bKUFuLKakD6wwTt8AmSw

Image Credits
Girard Summer Jessica Moncrief