Krista Vilinskis of Tinderbox Music & Princess Records on Music and Arts Education

What first inspired your interest in music and how has arts education (or lack thereof) affected your lasting appreciation for music?

My dad is a huge Elvis Presley fan. He introduced me to Elvis’s music when I was eight and soon I had my first idol. My dad would spin records from The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Kinks, Eagles, Rolling Stones, The Zombies, Gordon Lightfoot and Beach Boys. During college I studied abroad in England for a year and the music scene was exploding with artists such as The La’s, The Stone Roses, Blur, Catherine Wheel, The Auteurs, Slowdrive, Lush, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, Chapterhouse, RIDE and Supergrass. I was hooked and switched my major when I returned from England. I had to work in this industry.

Once I returned from studying in England, I immersed myself in classes pertaining to music and film. It changed my life and I found a new obsession. My classes helped me to digest music in a different light. I was driven by the need to understand how songs were written and what makes a song so amazing. I was excited by how a specific music composition could make or break a scene in a film or television show. I was lucky enough to have a university that specialized in Mass Communications and through our university’s TV station (UTVS), I started my own music television show called Whack!, which was similar in format to early MTV. I was able to use the universities high-8 cameras and set up in-person interviews with my musical idols such as Chris Mars from The Replacements, Uncle Tupelo, Gigolo Aunts, Frank Black and Green Day. That experience opened many doors for me. Once graduated from college, I was immediately able to work in the field of my choice thanks to the background and education my university classes provided me.

Culture Bully would like to thank Krista for her support with organizing many of the posts that have been published over the past three days! Krista, without your effort your encouragement we couldn’t have done this!