Over the years I have been speaking with members of the wider creative community I’ve been privileged to meet some amazing and wonderful people. New Zealand original composer, musician and singer, Sophie Mashlan is no exception.
Sophie is currently touring New Zealand promoting her album “Perfect Disaster” and relatively early one morning we speak via phone from her Auckland home.
I want to know how she describes her musical genre – a folk singer? Mashlan says she would not categorise or label her work and she does not fit perfectly into any genre as it wouldn’t allow her to be innovative.
Mashlan is presently a totally solo creative act although she admits she wouldn’t be averse to future co-writing. She “gets a lot of happiness from her work being hers and completely from scratch – her little babies.”
In her last year of a three year Bachelor of Music (popular music) at Auckland University she explains her full on course to me. As an escapee from Auckland I want to know how she gets on traveling from her home to Uni and it sounds like her timetable and public transport preserve her creative sanity. No, she hasn’t got a bicycle but “it would be convenient if it (the University) was on my street.”
No, she doesn’t have an extensive musical education and training background. I laugh when she says she gave up the piano after a year – she was 5 years old (but she plays all the piano on her recordings). A first guitar at 9 years old which she kept playing. Her delighted parents bought her a second guitar. Singing lessons in High School as a course requirement and then some guitar lessons at 16 years.
Mashlan can read music and reduce her work to a written score – she could do it “if she was playing with an orchestra.” Fundamentally she plays and composes by ear recording her work on her phone. Sophie demurs and laughs when I suggest what she is telling me is that she has a natural musical and vocal talent
I’ve taken a look at Mashlan on YouTube. I tell her I don’t want her to be offended but I think she has a beautiful personal style and is it her own or is it the result of a “personal stylist.” She loves makeup and her style and clothes I’ve seen are those she would generally wear to University. It’s here Sophie also discloses that although she’s not a photographer or director she’s responsible for her album cover and she paints.
When I ask Mashlan her having lived in Canada for her first 9 years has influenced her musical development and career path she says it’s more the other way round. There all she did was “sing to the car radio.” It was coming to and being in New Zealand which has been so musically formative.
Then Mashlan shares something that I’ve heard and read about so many times before. If you’ve checked out YouTube you’ll see a beautiful, golden-haired, talented young woman. But, a beautiful young woman who was bullied out of her dance classes which led to her going back to her guitar.
Sophie says she was “an ugly kid” and “an ugly teenager”. Pale skin, Pale eyelashes and eyebrows. Not super confident. While Sophie is telling me this I can now understand why her music is so penetrating and so hauntingly beyond her years. I wondered why someone so young could sound so knowing. . When I first saw and heard her I flew straight back to the evocative music, words and sounds of the young Joni Mitchell.
She travels with “the best roadie ever” her Dad. This enables her “to sleep in the car.” I love it. And I love it when she tells me the supportive facebook post I mention is from her Great-Aunt. No it’s not the biggest extended family but they’re all supportive of her coming to shows and buying albums.
As we conclude our conversation Mashlan confesses that she sometimes wonders if she made the most sensible career choice. “There’s no definite pathway, no right stuff, never knowing if what you’re doing is right and it can be really scary.” Should she have been a doctor?
I know she’s made the right choices and is walking her right pathway. And once again ARTbop has given me the privilege of meeting and conversing with a wonderful, talented member of the New Zealand creative community.
I’m including a selection of the YouTube conversations and performances Mashlan has already undertaken. There is the opportunity for some door sales tomorrow at The Jam Factory. I’d recommend you go.
https://youtu.be/PRKGXPkkhts
And an article in Hawkes Bay Today https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=12220583
Rosemary Balu. 
Rosemary Balu is the founding and current Managing Editor of ARTbop. Rosemary has arts and law degrees from the University of Auckland. She has been a working lawyer and has participated in a wide variety of community activities where information gathering, submission writing, community advocacy and education have been involved. Interested in all forms of the arts since childhood Rosemary is focused on further developing and expanding multi-media ARTbop as the magazine for all the creative arts in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
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And check out Hybrid Blues at https://www.hybridblues.com/
And from their facebook page: “Hybrid Blues heading in today to film their second video from their First EP
AND COMING UP ON ARTbop:
We have a conversation with artisan, bespoke silver jeweller Barb Hudson of Barisa
A visit to Morrinsville 
A day out at the Cambridge Autumn Festival and the Maadi Cup street parade
Doing the Lions Te Puna Quarry Autumn Festival with artist and creative Nicci Baxter
And my Sunday down on the Strand at the Jazz Festival and afternoon tea at the ever-consistent and yummy The Dry Dock!
The Anzac Day Hikoi at Te Puna
And, yes I’ve got it: Sharon’s recipe for her famous in Whakamarama chocolate and caramel slice. Watch out for another episode of an Artist’s gotta eat! or maybe Kupu & Word
And the joy of a contemporary version of Alice in Wonderland
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ARTbop promotes or we think you should check this out:
XCBITION Doreen McNeill’s latest exhibition at the Incubator Tauranga from 24th of April to the 15th of May 2019.
While you’re down at the McNeill exhibition in The Incubator Art Space take a walk around the lane behind the buildings opposite. This space is being opened up and enlivened. Here’s one of the first murals Kotahitanga with its creators Arohanoa and Pablo and their first international visitors!
And of course their photographer!
Within the Historic Village you’ll find a number of boutique galleries; the wonderful The Whipped Baker eatery and several homewares and recycled and new clothing boutiques. The Village is closed Mondays (except for cruise ship visit days).
The Incubator Gallery just one of several art spaces within the Historic Village
The Artery arts learning space – love the colour!
Toymakers to the nation: The Men’s Shed has its workshop and retail outlet in the Village.
The Joy Gypsy is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 3pm. The boutique is always closed on Mondays. Helen is also a wedding planner.
Rachel of The Velvet Coat Hanger has wonderful recycled clothing and accessories. It’s all beautifully presented and reasonably priced.
The Turning Point Trust has two boutiques which open once a month. The Rusty Mannequin and Retro & Vintage. Open 9am to 12 noon on the last Sunday of the month. Cash only. Funds from these ventures support the work of the Trust in the field of mental health.
WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY: Black Sheep Whakamarama has its third exhibition Anything Goes until the 25th May, Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm
