Name: Sofia Rubina
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: Estonian
Current release: Sofia Rubina's new album I Am Soul is out now.

If you enjoyed this Sofia Rubina interview and would like to find out more about her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, twitter, and Facebook.  



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in your voice and singing? How and when did you start singing?

My mother remembered that when I was a child 1 years old … I was trying to sing along to the lullaby that she was singing to me. So I think I had a little talent already from childhood. By listening to good music at home. We had a vinyl player. Vinyl of Aretha Franklin, Beatles, classical music .

As a kid I went to classical concerts with My family. At the age of 10 I started taking bel canto (classical) vocal lessons. But very soon I understood that I like to improvise and sing jazz and soul.

When I heard Gershwin's “Summertime,” I was blown away and needed to know more about jazz.



Got inspired by the music of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald. Later on, I discovered the music of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston …

If you're also playing other instruments, how does the expressive potential of these compare to your own voice?

I play and write on piano … but in my live performances, I focus on singing!

There are so many more fun things I can do and express with my voice.

Singing is an integral part of all cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from – and why?

I think it all comes from the country and culture you are growing up in as a kid. In my life, it was a combination of Estonian, Russian and Jewish traditions.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist? Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

From an early age, when I started singing, I realized vocal health is a very important topic. It's important to know your instrument, not to push, not to harm your vocal chords.

And I think I got lucky because I started with bel canto - so later on, when I had vocal coaches who wanted to lead me in the wrong direction, I could feel it right away. It's important to listen to yourself as every voice is different.

I find it very helpful using the ‘Lax vox’ method combined with classical vocal exercises …

Do you feel that honoring your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your singing skills?

I think the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody is really important. One can’t exist without another, they have to compliment each other.

It's like every singer has a special secret “code”! This is how you can see nuances in singing and also playing instruments. Every singer has their own way of melodic phrasing, rhythmically interpreting melodies and using different melodic ideas within harmony to create improvisation.

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

- Most of all - timbre ...

How would you describe the physical sensation of singing? [Where do you feel the voice, do you have a visual sensation/ representation, is there a sense of release or tension etc …]

I feel visually like I’m opening up my heart and different emotions and light are coming out … as an energy…. 4th Chakra and up!!!

For me it's a sense of release … flow … and connection ...

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your own voice?

I like concert halls and jazz clubs most of all.

But it is really important to have a great team of sound engineers to help singers and musicians to feel comfortable in every setting, especially at open air settings.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind?

As bel canto says … “sing as you would speak” … - I think it's a great idea.

From whispers to screams, from different colors to dynamics, what are the potentials and limits of your voice? How much of your vocal performance can and do you want to control?

I think in jazz and soul we really use all colors that timbre can give you.

I don’t see many limits with regards to my voice in general … but I would say that it took some time for me to "belt" the healthy way so wouldn’t harm the vocal cords.

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

From my experience you can make every phrase work … even if it's complicated at first.. It's important just to understand what dynamics and styling (vibrato, tone ) you are adding.

I feel comfortable singing someone else's lyrics as well as my own. I think the most important thing is that I really need to fall in love with the song … the rest feels natural then.

Strain is a particularly serious issue for many vocalists. How do you take care of your voice? Are the recipes or techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape?

So as I mentioned before Lax Vox was a life changing experience for me and also the basics of Estill Voice techniques.

How has technology, such as autotune or effect processing, impacted singing? Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

I really love to play with effects. It fits especially well with club music. I would say it really depends on the repertoire.

In my program I use long echoes sometimes when I have an improvisation solo and then switch back to no effects sound.

But most of all I like a pure, clear sound. With no reverb, echo …. just raw how it is! :))

For recording engineers, the human voice remains a tricky element to capture. What, from your perspective, makes voices sound great on record and in a live setting?

I think for every singer, the microphone topic is really sensitive. I prefer a basic “Sure58” and as few effects as possible … that way I like the sound the most …

Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of wellbeing, your creativity, and society as a whole?

I think music and the human voice has healing and connecting power. So for me I really do feel better when I sing and when I listen to music I like … that's why when the audience sings along - it feels like magic ... because we are really creating a collective space and colliding energy …

It feels so powerful and pure.