Jakub Knera: How did you start singing?
Alina JurczySzyn: It wasn't singing that started, but theater. I studied Polish Philology at the University of Gdańsk, specializing in theater studies, and that's what fascinated me most – working in theater, directing performances, and training as an actor. I was particularly moved by Gardzienice, which I visited frequently and wrote my master's thesis on before I was accepted to the Academy of Theatre Practices there. I traveled and participated in many workshops – including one at Brzezinka, a branch of the Grotowski Institute, where Grotowski himself worked in a paratheatrical capacity with his actors. Eventually, I began co-creating and directing performances myself, primarily at the Wybrzeżak Theater in Gdynia, but also at the Off the Bicz Theater in Sopot, the LSD Theater, and the Żak Club.
Did you have any singing in your family?
Both of my younger sisters went to music schools, and I was the only one who didn't. I have no musical education, and my life is music. But if I were to trace my roots, my grandfather, a singing, joyful man, was crucial to my musicality. He loved to sing – whether with his brothers at family gatherings or just on an ordinary day. But genes aside, I'm a completely urban girl, born in Gdynia and spent my entire childhood in Gdańsk Główny, surrounded by the city. I wasn't raised in the forest by my grandmother, a shaman, who taught me songs of power from a young age (laughter).
You didn't sing?
Singing back then was like diving for me now – something I hadn't consciously done before, and it was completely new to me. It just so happened that during the next workshop in Brzezinka, Wrocław, the instructor started choosing me more and more often to sing in front of the group. Since then, it's become clear that people want to hear my voice, that for some reason it's special to them. It stirs something in them; they say it's extraordinary. I was surprised; I didn't understand why this was happening, as I'd never done it before. So I began to explore singing, and from then on, my path slowly turned towards singing. I chose workshops that were less theatrical and more vocal. I went to singing festivals and traveled through villages with collectors of traditional melodies. I was constantly in Wrocław, because the Grotowski Institute held many workshops devoted to voice work. The workshops led by Natalka Polovynka and Serhiy Kovalevych from Maisternia Pisni were incredibly important to me. I especially remember the ones where they invited babushkas from the Drewo group.
Was that a breakthrough?
Yes, it was an incredible experience. When they sang Ukrainian songs in polyphony, I was transfixed. It was as if time had stopped; I cried and sang. A very intense time. And then began Gardzienice – Academy, very inspiring classes, vocal and movement training, and performances. In Gardzienice, I became deeply immersed in songs from around the world. I also went on my own expeditions, during which I collected even more songs. For example, I worked with the Tratwa Association, which organized musical expeditions near Radom, a region known for its oberek traditions. We walked through fields and villages, learning traditional music from older musicians. These musical and theatrical journeys, exploring the nature of the voice, lasted about ten years before I decided to focus on my own ensemble.
When did you decide to create something yourself?
When did I feel I had a strong legacy of song and musicality? I settled in the Tricity area and thought I needed to share it with someone and do something with it. I wanted to sing with a regular group of people, right where I lived. So, at first, I sang with friends. We often organized rehearsals at the music school or went to Kashubia, to my wooden cottage, and sang there all day. Eventually, I began conducting regular workshops in the Tricity area – first at the Ethnographic Museum in Oliwa, then at the University of Gdańsk, and currently at the Shakespeare Theatre.
Thus, the Song Laboratory was born. Why the Laboratory?
The name comes from my fascination with Jerzy Grotowski's Laboratory Theatre and with theatre-laboratories in general: those of Juliusz Osterwa, Eugenio Barba, and Peter Brook. These are the kinds of theatres that go beyond what we think of theatre and seek new avenues of expression in actor training, the truth of the role, but also the truth about the person, embracing paratheatrical activities. I'm also interested in this kind of paramusic, exploring the phenomenon of the voice, asking fundamental questions, searching for answers. It's a very mysterious subject, and one that can be studied throughout one's life.
Translated from: http://noweidzieodmorza.com/pl/9634-alina-jurczyszyn-spiew-naturalnym-oczyszczeniem/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLep2pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE5MzJSazZObkdVbWN2N2FDAR6awEP_mkLMpXDqboGdUU7ttoWuNn-GQ_DyI84v1jjrKUjEcD22zha_l1bOEw_aem_UDo-QkVgB-0HWWXTmufT_w
