Alexandra Mrozowska
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Born in 1991 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, I discovered Rock music as early as at the age of 9. My first exposure to it, however, was when I was about five. It was when Queen released Freddie Mercury's post-mortem album 'Made In Heaven'. Recorded on a cheap cassette that was owned by my mother, this album opened up brand new doors for my five-year-old self as it introduced me to the sweetest sound ever, this of the electric guitar. My own musical discoveries of slightly latter period were those of '80s Hard Rock scene, a fact which has considerable influence over my future journalistic work. My lifelong passion for music and writing resulted in contributions to music sections in school newspapers and subsequently led me to join the staff of the Polish webzine HardRock.Com.Pl as a reviewer, aged only 18 at the time (2009). A few months later, I switched to the other webzine ran under the moniker of Hard Rock Service and continued to contribute to it with covering mostly Polish Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scene via reviews, interviews, articles and concert coverage until 2014. This was when I took over the responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief of the site and ran it until 2016. The person who encouraged me to start interviewing musicians was Stuart Smith of Heaven & Earth, and the first musician I've ever interviewed was Kane Roberts (ex-Alice Cooper, solo) for Hard Rock Service in the summer of 2009. Over the next few years, alongside many Polish musicians, I also interviewed the likes of Bobby Kimball (ex-Toto), the late Jimi Jamison (ex-Survivor), Ted Poley (Danger Danger, solo) or Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS). In early 2011, thanks to Bruce Mee, I started to write for Fireworks Magazine (UK) and Rocktopia website (UK). Over the next few years, I continued to review albums as well as interview the current and former members of Whitesnake, Trixter, Hardline, Kix, Keel, Danger Danger etc for Fireworks. In December 2011, thanks to John Kindred, I also joined Hardrock Haven staff as a Columnist (now, a Senior Columnist). Alongside album reviews and concert coverage I provided, musicians interviewed by me for Hardrock Haven include the current and former members of Sabaton, Survivor, Winger, Krokus, Femme Fatale and more. Between 2014 and 2015, my essays were featured in three music biographies by the British author Neil Daniels. In these books I was asked to express my thoughts on Richie Sambora (ex-Bon Jovi), Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and Paul Stanley (KISS). Funnily enough, it was no one else but the three of them that I could have called my teenage heroes. The process of writing the essays was a fascinating journey back to my beginnings with Rock music and a way to define the long way I've come so far. Always keen on spreading the word about the Rock/Metal scene of my homeland, I have been actively engaged in promoting it over the years. Not only did my contribution for Hard Rock Service from 2009 to 2016 revolve mostly around the Polish acts – I also interviewed the likes of Kruk, Turbo or CETI for Fireworks Magazine and Hardrock Haven as well as reviewed a big number of Polish albums for both outlets. In 2016, I prepared and guest co-hosted the special feature "Polish Metal Scene" in The Michael Spiggos Melodic Rock Show on the British Internet radio station Rock Radio, introducing the listeners to CETI, Kruk, Scream Maker and Andrzej Citowicz. My other interests are the American and British culture, gender studies and the sociology of popular music, all reflected in my university studies. I hold a Master's degree in English but specialized in Culture Studies during the course of my studies. In 2013, I completed and defended my Bachelor of Arts thesis on Madonna's representation of femininity in postmodernism. In 2016, I completed and defended my Master of Arts thesis on authenticity and adaptation in Southern Rock. Still, there's nothing I love more than the infamous "dancing about architecture" – every minute of it! |