We recently connected with Monika Demmler and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Monika, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I was actually always drawn to music. When I was a kid, I tried to learn as many instruments as possible, however didn’t know that music-making would play such an important role in my life later. After having done an apprenticeship as a bank clerk, I went on to become a high school teacher for English and History. During my time at university, I got a scholarship at the University of Vermont, where I took a class on “Blues and Jazz Music in African-American American Prose Fiction.” I was so fascinated by the philosophy behind blues and jazz music which made me write my PhD on “Biophilia and the Aesthetics of Blues, Jazz, and Hip-Hop Music in African-American Prose Fiction.” During these studies, again, I stepped into the world of how ecology and music is connected, hence my interest in sound frequencies and quantum theory. After having spent all those years with philosophy and science, I was eager to combine practical music composing with a purpose, i.e. to contribute to make the world a better place. And that’s where I’m at now.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a composer, multi-instrumentalist, djane, artist and speaker, channeling my research in Solfeggio frequencies into my artworks by blending genres in a new and captivating way: My latest releases (2022) are Zucker (avant-garde techno-deep house) with Holzkopfkinder and Princess – a mix of krautrock, shoegaze, punk.
I think what’s special about me is that I’m combining philosophy with art. I’m trying to create purposeful music/art to contribute to help transforming the world we live in to a meaningful place for future generations, i.e. bringing progress of technology into a harmonious balance with ecology.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First of all, my upbringing in the countryside shaped my way of thinking a lot. If you grow up surrounded by nature, you develop in most cases automatically a creative approach to life. Second, my education, most importantly my studies during my PhD which brought me much insight into ecology, philosophy and music. Another quality I might have developed stems from the fact that I’m not rich and always had to figure out ways to be able to do what I actually like to doing in my life. My advice to folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these is to never give up. Believe in your dream and keep trying. It’s like riding a bike, when you’re a kid you try again and again until you master it.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, I take a break. I retreat from “society” and spend a lot of time with my own, practising yoga and meditating a lot, re-thinking my strategies and my goals. I’m sitting down and reflect on why I feel overwhelmed and trying to figure out the reasons behind it. Maybe I went a wrong way, maybe I wanted to much at the same time, maybe my goals are set too high/unrealistic. Even though I feel obliged by many tasks, I know it is a time to pause and reflect my strategies to reach my goals. On top of that, it is vital to spend time in nature in order to re-energize.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drmonikademmler.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monika.demmler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monikadrdemmler/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmonikademmler
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drmonikademmler
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6YJQOZdspw3bUAEkMxudXQ
Image Credits
Martyn Goodacre
