After October Project broke up, was there a long time before you decided you were going to do a solo project? When the band first broke up, there was a period where everyone took a moment to figure out what was going to be next. Julie and Emil had just had their baby; I went off and sang with some friends, including Dana, and another friend of mine from New York,and began writing my own material. So there was kind of an evolutionary period for all of us, as well as Mary. But I'd say it really came together a year ago December for me in terms of my own material; I started getting organized, I started playing out on a regular basis. And finishing up my album by the end of this year, that's my goal. While still in OP, had you ever thought of doing a solo project? Well, it wasn't a priority of mine, because I loved Julie and Emil's music, I loved the group of people that I was working with, it was a great learning experiment, as well as being like a family. In fact, we started out more like a Fleetwood Mac; Emil & I would sing a few songs, in addition to Mary. There was a lot of room for everyone to express themselves. When we got signed to Epic Records, however, they said "No, that's too confusing to have so many people singing; there should really only be one person singing." We were too naïve to tell them to "forget about it", and went along with what they said. Which was sad; we veered from our original concept. So although it wasn't foremost in my mind, when the band broke up I realized I had felt a little stifled, and I knew it was time to either put up or shut up. How do you pick which October Project songs you play live? It's based on personal preference, really. Return To Me has always been one of my favorites. Paths Of Desire, as I said tonight, I think is one of the most brilliantly written songs ever, period. It's Julie's masterpiece, I think it's tremendous. As for Ariel, here's a little secret: Julie and Emil admitted to me that when they wrote that song, they actually wrote it for me. So I have a fondness for that the song, knowing that little insider information. In terms of what else I might do, I realized just today that I have picked entirely from the first album so far. Now I feel obligated to look over the second album and pick something from that. How did you choose Return To Me as the song to record on your EP? Again, it was probably on the top of my list of personal favorites. I always loved the drama of the chorus and the harmonies of the bridge, so I thought it would be a fun one for everyone to get back together to do. It's the kind of song that you never forget, so I knew that if I brought everybody in, they'd remember their part just like that, and it would go down smoothly, which it did. I understand that you work at Depth of Field in NYC. Could you explain that a little? Depth of Field is where I've worked for the last decade or so actually, and it's a music management company. It's been really useful, because I've read a lot of record contracts and publishing contracts, and have learned all about booking bands, so I know the music business from a business standpoint. I'm actually leaving there now, finally, after a long term of duty, because I realized that I need to give all of my time to the development of my career. When can we expect a full-length album? I would say it's a realistic goal to have it done by the end of the year. I don't know if it will be released by then, but it will be completed by the end of the year. How does your solo project compare with October Project? Well, it was great training, you know? All of those years of playing and singing with October Project, I had never done that. I had only sang or played the piano, but I had never done both. So it was a major challenge to put those two things together, it's a split-brain activity. So October Project was six years of training in that, so now when I go up to sing, it's a much different experience, I'm totally relaxed. My hands can do their thing, I don't even have to think about it, and I can sing the song. My preference, in all truthfulness, is to just stand there nd sing, so I don't have to worry about what my hands are doing, but I'm okay with doing both. Certainly, with touring it makes a lot of economic sense. How has working with Julie and Emil influenced your writing? I've known Julie and Emil since I was a freshman in college. I was always attracted to their music and I felt that if I loved it, lots of other people would, too. In terms of the kinds of music I write, it would be in a similar vein; to have beautiful melodies, lots of harmonies, and thoughtful arrangements. My writing has certainly been inspired by theirs. Where do you get the ideas for your songs? For me, the music comes first. What I like to do is to sit down at the piano after having meditated or after just having quieted down, and turn on a tape recorder and improvise for one or two hours. I'll get a bunch of those tapes together. In fact, for this EP, I had about 10 or 12 tapes of improvisation that I went back and listened to, and the moments on the tape that struck me, still, after repeated listening, became songs. And there's a lot of material there, for sure, but there are certain parts where I'd say "wow, I'm really drawn to that". So first comes the music, which then usually suggests a thematic content. I would derive lyrics from the spirit of the music. Occasionally, the music and the lyrics come together, which is what happened with Thunder. That arrived complete; the music and the lyrics happened at the same time. That also happened to me for Rainbow. For these two new songs, the lyrics and the music came together, which is rare for me. I hope it happens some more. So have you given any thought to doing an instrumental track? You know something, I'm actually thinking of doing an entire album of instrumental music. Because my music is derived from the piano first, I think it could work just as a collection of piano pieces or arranged for a small ensemble. Oh, look, they're taking pictures of us. Ha ha ha ha ha. Eep. (I'm not a fan of true candid photos) Growing up, who have you looked up to most? I know this is going to sound kind of corny, but I'd have to say my parents.. They had to flee their native country (Slovakia) in 1949. My father was a diplomat working in Vienna at that time and had done some undercover work for the U.S. When the Russians found out, they were in hot pursuit and he, my mother, and my two oldest brothers had to flee to the U.S. They came here with no possessions, only what they could grab to pack, without knowing the English language, and with no relatives or friends to help them. My Dad did everything he could think of to make money - worked as a car mechanic, race-car driver, selling encyclopedias door-to-door, and construction, while my mother began teaching piano and voice (she was a professional opera singer in Europe). Together they worked very hard and never gave up. My father retired several years ago as Senior Vice President of Smith Barney (now Salomon Smith Barney), a very successful investment banking firm. I think they call this a Horatio Alger story (although I have to admit, I don't really know who Horatio Alger is or what his story was!). In any case, they raised their children to have a deep respect for the privilege of freedom and a belief that determination and hard work could take you far in this world. It's something I carry with me and has served me well. If you could play on a tribute album for one band, who would it be for? W ell, I would have to…that's a very interesting question. The easy answer for me would be Joni Mitchell, she has such a body of work, and she is a great poet. So it would be easy to find enough material to do, lots of different people to come and do different versions…(Marina places her order for dinner). So to answer your question again, Joni Mitchell. If you could have the answer to one question, what would it be? What happens to us when we die? And what would you want the answer to be? I'd like some aspect of our energy to continue, and to either reincarnate or to exist in some manner. For more information on Marina Belica, including how to order her amazing EP and and checking to see if she'll be playing your town soon, visit December Girl Online at www.decembergirl.com