MARA

Mara is a participant of Freshmen Friday's Sound Off! program.

You can follow her here and listen to her music here.

Where are you from?: Hamilton.

Where do you live now?: I still live in Hamilton and I love it. We get a lot of shade but if you know where to go its a beautiful city. We're next up, I promise you.

What do you do for work?: Singing/songwriting.

What do you do for fulfillment?: I always feel the most alive while performing my music for an audience. I also love to travel and I'm really big on hiking too. Something about the forest brings me peace.

What is your dream creative project?: A full length album & accompanying book of photos and poetry.  I would also love to design a home from top to bottom.

Do you consider yourself a freshman, sophomore or senior in your field?: I'm still a freshman. I have lots to learn but I'm eager to get there.

What can’t you leave the house without?: You'll never catch me without a bottle of water or cherry chapstick. I have an addiction.

What would your perfect 24 hours consist of?: I’d wake up and go swimming for a few hours. Then, I’d take a walk through a forest and write some poetry under the shade of a big tree. Next, I would hit the studio for a while to finish a new track. Then I would eat pasta for dinner, watch the sunset by the water, and finish the day around a bonfire with my friends.

Where's your favourite place to eat?: Moo Frites in Kensington Market. French fries are my life.

Where's your favourite place to dance?: Sous Bas is the only place in Hamilton worth going to. The owner always brings in great DJs from all over, and the crowd is very laid-back and carefree. I always feel comfortable there.

Where's your favourite place to drink?: Anywhere with a rooftop patio & good lighting.

Where's your favourite place to shop?: Whenever I'm in Toronto I always love to rifle through the vintage shops in Kensington.

What are your go-to tunes for getting ready to leave the house in the morning?: I love listening to Soulection Radio. It has so many hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Sampha, SiR, and Snoh Aalegra are also my current favourites.

What are your go-to tunes for exercising?: Anything by Skepta or Rico Nasty.

What are your go-to tunes for going out for a night on the town?: Anything produced by Pharrell/the Neptunes from the early 2000's. 

What do you think are the qualities of a life well lived?: Being completely at peace with the person you've become and the things that you've accomplished.

Who are 3 people that inspire you: 

Mike Charuk
Jessica Stiliadis
Gat Kong

Dawn Lam

You can follow Dawn here.

Where are you from?: Montreal

Where do you live now?: Toronto

What do you do for work?: Culture Curator at an Advertising Agency

What do you do for fulfillment?: Live life with my friends.

What is your dream creative project?: Anything that involves food and fashion. Beautiful people in cute outfits eating amazing food... DREAM LIFE.

Do you consider yourself a freshman, sophomore or senior in your field?: Definitely a freshman creatively, but at work I am O-L-D as fuck.

What can’t you leave the house without?: Lip balm and my camera.

What's a typical day in the life for you?: Be prepared for the most boring day ever:
Get to work LATE. Every. Single. Day.
Think about what to have for lunch.
Eat lunch.
Have my 2nd lunch at 3pm.
Go home and make dinner (or go out to eat).
Watch Seinfeld.
Go to bed.

What would your perfect 24 hours consist of?: Waking up in a foreign country on a flawless day. Being able to wander aimlessly for hours and eat the most amazing local foods. If there are friends around, even better! Watch the sunset and then stay up to watch the sunrise.

Where's your favourite place to eat?: Impossible to answer.

Where's your favourite place to dance?: My friend's living room.

Where's your favourite place to drink?: For a cute drink, there are so many nice places in the city, but to get drunk?! ... My friend's living room.

Where's your favourite place to shop?: ONLINE. I cannot handle malls or shops anymore.

Is there something you really want to do in your city that you haven't yet?: Go to a drag show! How have I not yet?!

What are your go-to tunes for getting ready to leave the house in the morning?: I usually play Instagram stories as I'm getting ready, but on my way to work I'm either blasting 90s rap/r&b or UK grime.

What are your go-to tunes for going out for a night on the town?: BRITNEY. CIARA. BEYONCE. Or anything DISCO!!!

What was your new years resolution?: I never tell anyone because I'm afraid of jinxing it for myself.

What do you think are the qualities of a life well lived?: To be happy and comfortable with myself and my relationships. When you're able to attain that, there's no need for anything else.

Kindly recommend 3 people that inspire you: 

Sasha Semeniouga
Briony Douglas
Emma Segal

Gimme Mar

Gimme Mar is a participant of Freshmen Friday's Sound Off! program.

You can follow her here and listen to her music here.

Where are you from?: Serbia/Vancouver

Where do you live now?: Toronto

What do you do for work?: DJ/Singer-Songwriter

What do you do for fulfillment?: Write, sing, dance, train/workout, travel

What is your dream creative project?: Creating a sick album and touring the world with it.

Do you consider yourself a freshman, sophomore or senior in your field?: Sophomore

What can’t you leave the house without?: Phone/Keys

What's a typical day in the life for you?: Quite different every day...but for the most part:
Morning:
Wake up, say my thank you's for being alive and well. Stretch, water, tea/coffee.
Reply to emails, look up new music/research pop culture stuff. Cold calls/Emails for new potential clients. Update my moodboard. Write.
Afternoon:
Workout (boxing, pilates, gym, run etc), meetings/errands
Evening:
If not DJ'ing - take a dance class, record some ideas at home or a studio, write, read, watch a film or documentary.

What would your perfect 24 hours consist of?: Travelling, being with loved ones, creating some cool shit - music/film/visuals, laughing, and eating good food/hydrating/sweating.

Where's your favourite place to eat?: Fresh, Calii Love

Where's your favourite place to dance?: UnderGround Dance Centre, at home in front of my mirror

Where's your favourite place to drink?: When I do go out (rare these days) - Soho House, Apt 200, Mahjong Bar, any rooftop with a good view

Where's your favourite place to shop?: Sub Rosa Vintage, Value Village, Uniqlo, Top Shop, Urban Outfitters, Nordstroms | Some favourite brands: IAMGIA (online), Nike, Vintage Prada/Gucci/Versace/Armani,

Is there something you really want to do in your city that you haven't yet?: Perform my own music at a big venue sold out show.

What are your go-to tunes for getting ready to leave the house in the morning?: 90's feel-good reggae

What are your go-to tunes for exercising?: HARD RAP - A$AP/SKEPTA/KANYE/DRAKE/FUTURE

What are your go-to tunes for going out for a night on the town?: Hard rap (same as excersizing) or sexy funkadelic 60's/70's soul sexy R&B keywords: HARD & SEXY

What was your new years resolution?: Didn't have one specifically for the year, but my motto this past couple of months is: ENJOY LIFE!!!

What do you think are the qualities of a life well lived?: Knowing what you want, what you enjoy doing, what you're good at and DOING IT EVERYDAY. Surrounding yourself with love and good energy, staying consistent and disciplined in anything you put your mind to. Achieving milestones you set for yourself and enjoying the feeling of all those accomplishments.

Kindly recommend 3 people that inspire you that we can continue the conversation with...: Nina Kiridzija ( @neeenze )
Teaunna Gray ( @teaunnagray )
Charlotte Johnston ( @charwhore)