Alex Berglund, a local composer who has worked on films, trailers, commercials and other projects. Photos: Rachel Nadeau
The uniquely creative Berglund family features a composer, a fine-art creator, a vocal artist and a fashion designer.
A year ago, we spoke with Plymouth resident and multidisciplinary artist Natalia Berglund. This month, we talk with all members of the uniquely creative Berglund family. With a composer, a fine-art creator, a vocal artist and a fashion designer, this family pushes creative boundaries and influences each other to develop innovative art.
Alex
Alex is a composer with a passion for making music that elevates ideas. “I create music that’s in service of the concept I’m writing music for—I compose to help shape the story that’s being told,” he says. Alex works on films, trailers, commercials and other projects for brands including Target, Toyota and Harley Davidson.
“I’m doing what I love and having a good life while doing it,” he says. “The most enjoyable thing about my career is getting to create, to be able to support myself with my art and to be involved in projects that I find cool and stimulating.”
Alex studied classical music and counterpoint from the 10th century to the present. His main instruments are violin, viola, cello, trumpet and guitar. “I play a lot of other instruments on my projects as well, but these are the ones I specialize in. Being able to play and record a variety of live instruments on the projects I work on allows me to create very authentic sounding scores quickly, by myself,” he says.
Alex works with his clients to ensure that he articulates the music in a way that evokes emotion and enhances his clients’ message.
“It’s interesting how the kids cross pollinate with our art and we kind of influence theirs too. We artistically complement each other.”
Natalia
Having an artistic eye since she was in kindergarten, Natalia attended a fine arts school for 11 years before coming to the United States to obtain a graphic design degree at the University of Minnesota. After working in advertising for most of her career, she decided to focus more on fine arts about five years ago, while still maintaining her web design and development business.
“I have always appreciated beauty through all mediums, whether it is art, architecture, fashion, you name it,” Natalia says.
Natalia says there is a stark difference between following the specific design standards in graphic arts projects for her business and allowing her creativity to flow in a way that she feels at home in the art. Natalia finds a balance between making her own artwork and freelance graphic design.
As a multidisciplinary visual artist, Natalia’s media include plaster and clay, inks and pencil, and canvas and oil paint. With a diverse background in style and medium, Natalia is able to elevate her distinct voice through creating semi-realistic portraiture.
Natalia has showcased her work at The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, The LA Art Show, the El Paso Museum of History, the Saatchi Art “The other Art Fair” in Chicago and many other galleries and festivals. She hopes to continue to display her work in well-established galleries, and museums in order to continue to gain recognition for her work.
Nina
Fifteen-year-old singer-songwriter Nina is using her distinct aural style to make a name for herself across the nation and beyond. She began her journey in third grade, writing songs with the help of her sister and dad. Not long after that, she knew that she wanted to make music her focus in life.
After steadily building her distinct brand and voice on SoundCloud, Nina was able to release her first album Ocean of Feeling in December 2017. A year later, she released a second album, Soundtrack of My Dreams, which features five original songs.
“Getting my music on these platforms represents the progress that I have made,” Nina says. “Once they (the songs) got on, more people started listening.”
Nina finds musical inspiration from pop music and enjoys beats and melodies from genres such as K-pop and hip-hop. Nina says her music is shaped by her opinions, background and feelings that she experiences on a day-to-day basis. For Nina, these emotions drive the character of each song and enhance her overall creative process. Nina says she believes she has an advantage over other artists who are her peers—she always has a creative musical mind to collaborate with— her dad. They bounce ideas off of one another and intertwine their varied skills, like singing, playing instruments and composing, to enhance each other’s work.
Nina plans to continue to write more music, collaborate with other up-and-coming artists and eventually reach a larger audience spanning more areas around the globe
Sophia
Beginning as a class project on invention and innovation, Sofia (13) wanted to create something that was fun, unique and would be the most exciting part of an outfit. Channeling her passion for fashion, Sofia created a studded tie fit to make any outfit pop.
When her father wore one to an event at Minneapolis Fashion Week, he received many compliments, and Sofia was later asked by friends and family to create more. To meet the growing demand, Sofia took matters into her own hands and established her own business called Sofia’s Stud Ties.
Since their debut, Stud Ties have been featured in a variety of local fashion shows and photo shoots for local brands, as well as being part of the wardrobes of people in the community.
Sofia makes each tie by hand. She has developed a carefully selected line of ties and keeps production rates efficient and costs manageable. With the fabric and studs in a range of colors, there is something for everyone, no matter their gender. Each tie and each customer are unique, says Sofia. She wants each tie to have a distinctive look and wants to offer options to fit every personality. She also creates custom ties on customer request.
Sofia says she hopes to expand the selection of colors and studs in the future. Sofia’s Stud Ties can be found online or at Atelier957, a women’s accessory and clothing store in St. Paul.
