Hello SingSnap!

I'm Karolina, and I've been working for SingSnap as a graphic designer and UX designer for almost two years. You don't hear too often from me, I've mostly designed graphics for the website and the recorder, UX, and recently also email campaigns. I've recorded some songs but I've always been too shy to enter a contest, and I've never even made a message board post before. But this is changing- starting today I will be conducting a series of interviews with the staff, so you can get to know all of us a little better. And yes, Trevor will make an appearance! But today we will be talking to Mandy- my manager and one of the kindest souls I've ever met.

An interview with Mandy

K: What do you think the SingSnap community should know about you? What are your hobbies?

Mandy: I enjoy crafting, gardening, kayaking, hiking… Spending time in nature makes me happy.

K: I remember you telling me once that when you were young you used to write poems in Algonquin Park, is that correct?

Mandy: Yes, I did! I love poetry- reading it or writing myself. I used to go to Algonquin Park and write. I would go up to the top of the Barron Canyon, as high as I could get, and spend the entire afternoon there writing.

K: Sound lovely! I’ve been to Algonquin Park a few times and loved it.

Mandy: It’s gorgeous!

K: I find it very grand but also cozy, especially in fall, when all the leaves have changed colours to orange and red. It’s a very Canadian experience. But back to the interview- is music also a big part of your life?

Algonquin Park in fall 2018- photo by Karolina

Mandy: Definitely. To be honest, I don’t remember not singing. I sang in the church choir when I was a kid, then in a couple school choirs. I used to do karaoke here and there, at Halloween parties, some family events. I always really connected to music, especially when I was younger. As a kid I didn’t always have the skills to verbalize what I was feeling, but I found a way to express myself through music. I found songs that I identified with, that evoked an emotional response from me. Music always helped me through hard times. It’s always been there for me!

K: I bet a lot of SingSnappers can relate to that! I think that our community is pretty great and unique compared to other karaoke communities. What do you like the most about it?

Mandy: I love a lot of things about SingSnap, but one of the things I love the most is the sense of community. I think that when you’re here you feel like you belong. That is important. It’s a positive place, it fosters that sense of congeniality. We focus more on the things that bring us together, music being one of them, than things that divide us. In today’s world it’s important to a little corner of the Internet where you can bond with other like minded people and feel welcome, maybe even expand your horizons a little bit about music. There are some songs that I would have never heard or tried before, never heard the original, but I’ve heard a SingSnap recording that I loved and tried singing it myself! And the community just feels to me like real people and real friends.

K: Couldn’t have said it better myself. Is there anything else you would like to tell our community before we finish?

Mandy: We all come from different paths of life, and learning about other people’s experiences and their journey, here on SingSnap, helps me grow as a person.

Thanks for reading and see you again soon in the next interview!