Meet Patricia Wasy | Musician and Industry Supporter

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

Hi Patricia, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Patience…..or trying to have a bit more of it! Practicing being patient, has been an ongoing struggle, I’m guilty of wanting quick answers, quick responses, quick results.

Of course, this has caused irrevocable damage in some instances, so I think I’m finally getting the drift :). Funny, the more patient I become, the more situations seem to resolve themselves in a much more manageable way.

Impatience is a tough flaw to master, but finding it’s worth the work! I’m definitely not 100% patient yet, you know I texted someone 3 minutes ago and they still haven’t answered!?!? …but definitely more aware of trying to keep things in check.

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.
It all began in Winnipeg Manitoba, where I took Piano lessons starting at age 5. I still remember my Mom having to sit in the car in 40 below weather waiting for my half hour lesson to be done. Thanks for that, Mom but also a big thank you Mom and Dad, for investing in a beautiful Baby Grand Piano for my brother and I to use. I now compose here in TO, on that same Baby Grand from those Winnipeg days. I continued Piano studies right through highschool, in deep with the Royal Conservatory curriculum. It was not easy, those examinations were terrifying! The only way past that, to a point, was to constantly perform throughout the year, so when it was exam time, there would be hopefully, less nerves. But there’s no question, you had to perform at your highest level when it counted most. These RCM Exams, certainly prepared me for future ‘live’ performances in my career. That was a huge plus, so thank you to all those anxiety-inducing Examiners, I’m sure you’re all lovely in real life but at the time, yeah that was challenging. As a teacher of RCM, I see the same terror in my own students, and now the exams can be recorded! So you can actually hear the Examiners in action, and how they are with the students, and honestly, they are beyond wonderful! Kudos to the RCM for your continued support & education of our young Musicians. I began teaching Piano to others when I was in Grade 12, and have done so ever since.

However; at 18, I was bitten by the Radio Bug and took a slight detour in my Music Career. Be warned, this is the start of all my different ‘Names’. Turns out my first professional association in the Canadian Music Industry, was actually behind the microphone as a Radio Announcer. I was an Interviewer ‘Patti Williams’ (name #1) in the Van About Town’ for 97 KISS FM’ in Vancouver, Canada, then went onto doing my own Show as Mid-Day Announcer for The Ocean FM98.5 in Victoria. These Radio days were so key in my future as a Musician and Curator. While On-Air, I would witness first hand the absolute adoration, & in some cases hysteria, some fans would have for a song melody. It just really hit home to me, just how powerful a great melody can be, and how it can transcend & live in the hearts of fans in some cases forever.

It made me very aware of what constitutes a good song. This has helped me in my role as a musician, but also as a Curator. When I listen to music to add to Playlists, I’m listening from the point of view ‘could this song fit on Commercial Radio’. So I’m a bit ruthless as a curator, but if you don’t get a song accepted this time, there’s always the next release. Artists should never ever give up if a Curator declines a song. Music is subjective, what one curator declines another accepts. And we’re not always right. For my own music, I am striving for this same excellence, and it’s a tough road. One day you think a release sounds pretty ok, then the next day it’s ‘omg what was I thinking’, all part of the process for me. I am always striving to create a song that will fill someone’s heart with a bit of joy, like I heard in the voices of fans who I spoke with when I was behind that Radio station microphone.

Radio days led to Television days, and I was doing Voice Over Work for Television. I really enjoyed being the Promo Announcer for Discovery Channel Canada for over 20 years. A highlight for sure. As a V/O Announcer, voiced hundreds of TV ads from Coca Cola to Mattel’s Sparkle Eyes Barbie. This was my conscious introduction to the power of song in Advertising, which is something I latched onto as a Musician very interested in sync work. I am still doing V/O’s through Element Talent Management as Patti Wasylynko (name #2) which has now somehow morphed into P.Wasy for my Lofi/Piano Accompanying Profile (name #3).

So where did recording my own music start? I had been playing around with composing ever since I was introduced to Garageband. Thank you Dr. Gerhard Ledgeling for spearheading this Apple program. It opened up the entire world of recording at home. At this time, Loraine Burt a wonderful yoga Instructor was looking for new music for her practice and asked if I might compose something for her classes. ‘Falling For You’ was my first recording that I uploaded for streaming on Soundcloud. She was instrumental in pushing me to continue in the direction of recording my own compositions. Around this time, the son of a friend (Artist Name ‘Limes’) was heavily involved in producing Lofi music. Limes asked me if I had any original material hanging around that he could turn into Lofi. I happened to have the melody for “Somebody’ and passed it along. This was my first Lofi Release, and first collaboration. It’s now at 700k+ streams on Spotify, so I thank Limes for his trust and initiative, considering he was around 18 at the time, and I was….well I was his parents friend! But age didn’t matter for his purposes, and that was eye opening for me and this particular genre.

At the same time, I was asked to collaborate with Kike de Santo for an Electro mix of one of the Yoga tracks I had composed. This was the start of Electro collaborations under the Profile name ‘Patreezia’ (name #4) with 10 Electro Releases with Kike and a wild avant-garde Electro Release with Grammy Candidate 3kstatic.

Once releases were on streaming sites, it was necessary to have a Social media presence. Some days, you just don’t have the energy, but you have to do it. Consistency, constancy, learning to pivot, learning the next new trend, learning from others, learning from other’s mistakes, learning from your own mistakes. All so valuable. My 2 cents regarding social media, stay consistent, be on there regularly (I’m on Twitter daily since 2017 for approx. an hour, if I’m not recording that day, I can be quite a few hours) & most importantly, never underestimate anybody. You just never know how valuable what looks to be a total stranger, can be as a friend and colleague in this Industry. I joined Twitter first, as it felt most like being On-Air, so I felt really comfortable on this platform. It’s here I met other Indie Musicians that led to more Collaborations. Including, Clare Estelle, Broken Holiday, Fonz Tramontano, Marako Marcus, Swilled, Jaden Christy, Wizard of Waz, Helen Green. But just the friendships forged are fabulous, it is SUCH a thrill to see a social media friend/Follower win a Grammy Award. Social Media has it’s ups and downs, but in the long run, it’s proven to be a positive force in my experience.

It was during Covid that I started curating Playlists, utilizing the music from my Followers. I now have many Lists on Spotify’s dailyplaylists.com and the genres range from Chill Piano to Outlaw Rock & Blues.

As my collaborations grew, I also started to find my true Voice as a Pianist. And it circles back to calm, peaceful, piano, what I originally started with when I provided music for Loraine’s Yoga Classes. This includes Neo-Classical Solo Pieces, and Ambient Piano releases. This music is under the Profile ‘The Mayfair Arrangements’ (name #5). I warned you 🙂

I found out the hard way, if you are releasing music in different genres, it’s best to have separate Profiles for each genre on streaming sites. This way, the algorithms do not get confused and cause chaos on your Profile. But most importantly, people who enjoy listening to a particular genre, can feel confident that the catalogue of songs from that Artist are consistent.

In a nutshell my 3 Profiles:

The Mayfair Arrangements – Solo Neo- Classical and Piano Ambient
P.Wasy – Lofi/Piano Accompaniments
Patreezia – Electro

Once my Profiles were separated, good things happened. Lofi tracks ‘Delicate’ and ‘Cloud 9’ both have been on Spotify Editorial Lists. The Piano Ambient releases on the label Sunday, have done well for us especially Moonlight/Stay for the Winter and Wandering. Our latest release is ‘Dreamer Dreams’ and is being placed on many Lists as well, so we (Collab w/broken.wav) are grateful to all the Curators taking time to listen and add to their collections.

The career journey has been sprinkled with all kinds of interesting opportunities and I believe having all of these experiences has contributed to being selected as a Judge for this Year’s JUNO Awards (starting 2024). This is Canada’s Biggest Night in Music. For me, becoming an Academy Member has been one of the greatest honors of my Career. I’ve been a fan of the Juno Awards all of my life. I say with all honesty, the Nominees for this year’s JUNO Awards have been exceptional, and of course the final Winners are an absolute treasure for Canada and the entire Global Music Scene.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Toronto is the most diverse city I’ve ever lived in, we would check out some of the best authentic cuisine and little quaint spots for a coffee and people watching, we need to shop, and ofc check out some Art & music venues.

Coffee at Lettieri’s, which happens to be snuggled inside my favorite shopping destination Bayview Village
Bayview V is home to some gorgeous shops, it’s not too overwhelming, so it never feels really busy, but it’s a beautiful spot! We can stroll for a bit, have to check out the new arrivals from Montreal based MO851 for leather bags and accessories

Subway to Eglinton Station, just to get a Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun, to go.

The Royal Conservatory has the most beautiful grounds to lounge around & have that cinnamon bun. May even happen to hear an impromptu free concert by students, or just wander the halls and listen to the music emanating from every corner. Architecturally, the RCM is a gem.

The AGO, Art Gallery of Ontario, must see. Has an awesome Giftshop too. I go there for Xmas presents on the regs.

Dinner at The Shore Club in the Theatre District. Everything is delicious and the ambience is calm, serene and luxe!

Take in a Concert at our famous Massey Hall.

Nightcap at Canoe Top Floor of the TD Bank Tower

Morning Coffee at Balzac’s in the Distillery District, I could sit there all morning and just people watch, but want to also check out the Distillery District shops.

Lunch at St. Lawrence Market fresh fish/meat/cheeses/pastries/local

Wander along King Street and Queen Street amazing Furniture/Lifestyle/Antique shops

Bloor Street West Jane and Runnymede ‘Little Ukraine’ for some authentic Ukrainian food (Dad was from the Ukraine so I am always looking for a decent pyrohy and holopchi)

Hyde Park especially around now for the Cherry Blossom Trees are in bloom

Toronto’s Oldest Post Office on Adelaide has a sweet courtyard that hardly anyone knows about…just a neat spot to just sit and have a coffee, very peaceful

Drinks at Terroni’s outdoor rooftop Patio Yonge and Summerhill.

Dinner at Sorrel’s Yonge and Summerhill

Check out Putti Fine Furnishings…a fav shop especially for Xmas decor

Stroll Queen Street West for Vintage Clothing/Furnishings/cool ‘outside the box’ finds

For Live Jazz the Rex on Queen Street

Budweiser Stage for some Big Names

Maple Leaf Hockey Game at the Scotiabank Arena. Go Leafs Go.

Yorkville for a bit of boujee shopping, including Art Galleries

The Danforth for strolling and shopping dinner at Christina’s for authentic Greek food followed by a…

Concert at Danforth Music Hall

Cottage Country Excursion to Muskoka. Check out Haliburton/Bracebridge/Port Carling

Excursion to Niagara Falls (need to see it at least once)

McMichael Art Gallery Kleinburg

Olde Yorke Fish and Chips on Laird the real deal

Local Pub Yonge and Lawrence ‘The Abbot’ it’s loud, boisterous, fun and welcoming. Local hotspot. I always get the Trout!

The Monkey Bar on Yonge for Schnitzel

Toronto Music Garden is another gem where u can sit and relax. The park design is inspired by Bach’s First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello, with each dance movement within the suite corresponding to a different section of the garden.

Riz on Yonge has the best gyoza’s, pot stickers amazing gluten-free Asian Kitchen

Sunset Grill for breaky in The Beaches then take a long walk by the Lake

I really need to do more of this myself on a regular basis 🙂 Come visit Toronto!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few key people that have influenced this ride for me into Creating and Recording Music. Firstly, is Loraine Burt. I taught her daughter Piano, which is how we first met. She’s a Children’s book Author (Unicorn Caitie) and Yoga Instructor. She encouraged me to start writing music for her Yoga classes in 2017. Thinking back, I used to inundate her with all my ‘half-baked’ songs asking for her ‘thoughts’, now’s a good time to apologize for doing that 🙂 but she always replied with encouragement and enthusiasm! Having someone like that in your corner, at the start of a new endeavor can make all the difference.

Another thank you, would have to go to one of my first collaborators ‘Kike de Santo’. He heard one of these ‘yoga’ inspired tracks on my ‘Soundcloud’ site, and asked if he could turn ‘Falling For You’ into an Electro Mix! Long story short, together we have released 10 Electro tracks. We navigated all the hoops you have to jump through when getting started in this world of streaming. From getting the proper equipment, to learning how to record properly with the right software, to finding the right Distributor. Kike was/is key!

The next step was Promotion, which led to having social media presence. I started on Twitter (X), and this is where I met members of the Indie Music Community including Clare Estelle, who I call my Sis ‘across the pond’. I’m in Canada, she’s in England. We bonded as girlfriends & music allies. We’ve done 3 collaborations together. She is a beautiful soul, a thought provoking singer/songwriter and fierce in her convictions which I love.

Most recently, I have found in Dean Capone of 3kstatic, a Producer and friend who offers incredible support and expertise. We did a wild collaboration together called ‘We’re All Free Now’ such an honor to be part of the 3kstatic world. They’ve been champions of the Electro underground for over 20 years. What happened just this past year though, I needed a Producer to create a lush, felt sound for my Neo Classical Piano Pieces, and asked Dean if he would consider it. As far from the Electro Underground as you could get & he didn’t even hesitate. He is a Grammy Candidate specializing in avant-garde Electro, willing and able to Produce my Neo-Classical piano pieces, and take them to a new level. This is a testament to his incredible expertise.

Last and ofc not least, a huge thank you to my husband Richard who is my constant. Even in the beginning when creating my own tracks for public consumption, seemed so out of left field, he always was accepting of my music and all that goes with it. He was my first follower on Twitter in Oct.2017 & to this day adds a ‘like’ to every one of my tweets (over 20k tweets since 2017).

Website: https://linktr.ee/pwasy

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwasy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pwasySounds

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/P.Wasymusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiXnJHB7hPswwQLk7a3rpWg