Born in Moscow and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, Ada Pasternak transformed her prodigious violin talent into an award-winning career as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. With songs featured in Netflix and Hulu productions, Ada earned the Best Female Artist award at the International Acoustic Music Awards for “Grow Older” and has amassed millions of streams and views across digital platforms with hits like “Perfectly Imperfect.”
You were born in Moscow and raised in Fairfield, CT. How have these different cultural influences shaped your sound and the way you compose your music today?
I believe that everywhere I’ve lived, everything I’ve done and everyone I’ve met, has played some sort of role and shaped my sound one way or another. I write songs from personal experiences. I was little and don’t remember much of Moscow, but Fairfield was my hometown for most of my childhood and I even wrote a song called ‘Fairfield’
Starting as a violin prodigy and earning a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music is an incredible achievement. How was the transition from playing the violin to discovering composition?
It wasn’t an overnight transition. After being accepted to Berklee on Scholarship, I was exploring everything from Music Therapy to Film-Scoring to Jazz. It wasn’t until my first college romance/breakup that inspired my Songwriting and Composition.
Your music has been featured on platforms like Netflix and Hulu, and you’ve won major awards. How have these moments helped solidify your confidence as an artist?
They have a little, but mostly they haven’t. Of course I’m grateful for any and every award/accolade, but it means more to me when someone cries at my concert because they’re so moved by the music.
“Perfectly Imperfect” is a true anthem of self-love and has amassed over 1 million plays on Spotify. What inspired this song, and how does it feel to see the impact it has had on people?
At this point it actually has exceeded 11 million streams worldwide, which is something I can’t quite wrap my head around. It’s like the song is famous but I’m not. (not yet at least). So many people across the world are connecting to the song and that makes me so happy.
Your video with “Piano Around The World” reached 10 million views on YouTube. Did you ever imagine having such a wide reach? What is it like to see your music connecting people globally?
It’s hard to believe that so many people have heard me sing and play. I had no idea that video would become such a viral hit. I still can’t believe it.
“Grow Older” won the “Best Female Artist” award at the International Acoustic Music Awards. What does this song mean to you, and how did it feel to receive such special recognition?
It’s one of my favorite songs that I’ve written. I like it because it’s beautiful and romantic but also sentimental and bittersweet. I wrote it during the Pandemic while Quarantined at my parents house in Connecticut.
With such a rich and diverse journey already, what are your next dreams as an artist? Any special projects or collaborations on the horizon?
I’m currently releasing a new song every month and working on a Concept Album which will be released May 8th. Hopefully there will be a Summer tour and many wonderful collaborations in the near future.
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