Name: Dobrawa Czocher

Nationality: Polish
Occupation: Cellist, composer
Current release: Dobrawa Czocher's new single "Prayer" is out via Modern Recordings. It is a harbinger of her full-length album Dreamscapes, scheduled for release in early 2023.

If you enjoyed this interview with Dobrawa Czocher and would like to find out more about her work, visit her official website as well as her Instagram- and Facebook-profiles. There is also a website for her duo with Hania Rani.

To keep reading, check out our earlier Dobrawa Czocher & Hania Rani interview.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

There are two impulses - one of them is external which is an invitation to create certain projects. And this one very often relates to a certain purpose, for instance a theatre play or a movie. Once, I was invited to compose music about biodiversity. If I get a project like that,  I look for everything that is inspiring and helpful to create a matching atmosphere, musical world for this exact thing.

There is also a second impulse to create – an internal one. And I think a good example for that is my solo album Dreamscapes. I am absolutely crazy about the human mind, subconsciousness, and dreams. I believe we still know so little about these incredible matters. So it was natural for me to extend this fascination to my music.

How to picture dreams into music? How to take a listener into that subconscious journey through compositions? I asked myself many times and tried to find that while creating. I hope I succeeded.

But you know, I always say that inspiration is everywhere, if you are curious enough and awake. So, I believe the impulse to create can start at any time and everywhere but it’s good to have a pencil and paper to write it down then, some idea, even a glimpse of that. Otherwise, it can be gone sooner than you think (at least it works like that with me).

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

It depends on the project, but I like to have both – a main idea and some concept of the final result but I am definitely not holding on to that if I see that creation turns the other way. I can change plans then and go with the flow.

To be honest, these moments are my favourites - when I simply know with my whole body that something is leading me to a new discovery. You never know what will work better each time around but I definitely like to start with a plan and ideas and see if they serve the project.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

If I have an order like the one I mentioned already (biodiversity) then I definitely do research and try to get to know about the topic as much as possible. That helps me to enter into this specific world - of biodiversity or whatever it is.

Now I am invited to write music for a theatre play, therefore soon I will join rehearsals in order to understand everything about the play. How cool is that! I think this is one of the most wonderful things about my job, you never stop learning new things from different areas of art and not only that!

You can also closely watch other artists work like play directors, exhibition curators, actors and even scientists.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

Oh what a nice question! Well, I am going to tell you what a dream-like day for creative work looks like for me. Of course, it’s not like that always but if I am well organized and I am on time with other duties then I am happy because the creative process works best when I am committed only to that.

So, if I have a day just for composing I like to be in good shape which means I’ve slept enough. This is the basis for me because I know my brain works much worse when I don’t get enough of that. Generally, I do everything that makes me feel good in my body and mind. This would be yoga or walking and breathing in the park. That already changes a lot for me, I feel relaxed and ready to go deep within the creative process.

I had many discussions about that with other artists - some of my colleagues think suffering is the best factor for creating. This is very different for me - I found I am most productive and creative when I am calm and relaxed, when I am not thinking about other duties or whatever else.

Coffee is of course a liquid of gods haha! I love coffee and it always accompanies me when composing. But more important is that I am relaxed, and I am not pushing myself to anything. The best ideas come when I am just happy about creating itself, when I am excited about a project, when I am letting ideas come to me easily.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

I start with a general idea which usually is about the atmosphere and the message I want to convey. What do I want to embody in music? What is important for the project, for the mood? How to achieve that? What approach would match better? Should I go for some traditional solutions or experimental ones?

Once I know the general direction, I try to find a form for that and then musical motives, sometimes consonances which are base for the melody. And usually that part takes longer than actually working with the instrument and composing. What I want to say is that a big part of composing takes place in my head.

When I am ready with the first construct, I take the cello and work with it. Finding melodies is somehow natural for me, probably because for my whole life I was playing an instrument, which is meant to play melodies, to play one line.

Creating interesting consonances, atmospheres - this is what is challenging and fascinating for me.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?

I partly answered this question in the previous point but what I can add is that each project, each piece is a very different story and needs different tools to speak the message.

I think this is what is the most important to me - finding the way to convey something, to express it.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I absolutely do not stick to first concepts if they are not working well. I love these moments when music leads me by itself, when I lose control and let some visions come to me even when they are against my first ideas. Main ideas are important, and they give me a sense of good preparation, but the magic usually happens when I am not too worried about them.

I think a fantastic tool to be in that loose state is improvisation. Very often I sit with my instrument and just play without any pressure that there is a deadline or whatever else. I learnt that this is good to record because very often the best motives or ideas come from these free improvisations.

I know I touch something unexpected that arises while being in a special state of creation.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

Yes. Spirituality is a base for my artistic development.

I think the more I grow as a human being the more I have to say in my art. I also believe creativity is not only when you write a poem or make music, it’s also about living and doing trivial activities but with a certain approach. I mean openness and curiosity, joy and focus on what you do. The simple things can be creative as well.

I think probably in order to achieve this state one has to trust and let go of control - that goes for making art and simple operations too. For me, art is connected to life inseparably and these both areas intertwine with each other.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

On the compositional level, I think I finish working when I find composed music compelling, when it says something in my opinion. I guess it’s much harder for me to decide when to stop while recording. This process can last forever because there is always something that would sound better.

But the thing for me is to find balance with that because when I repeat some phrases too many times I can easily lose the emotion that is needed. Very often it’s a decision between if I want to have perfectly played notes or if I want to leave a version with some defects but with a special atmosphere. Of course, it would be amazing to have both - perfectly played sounds with interesting emotionality but from my experience, it’s usually one or the other. So I have to decide in the end what is more needed for the whole piece.

In terms of production and mix, I work with people whom I trust and tell them exactly what I want to achieve. But after that I give them space for their own ideas and exploration. The final decision is mine of course, but I like a sense of cooperation and leaving freedom for the people with whom I work.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

To be honest, there is often not enough time for changes because my life is quite busy and when I compose music I usually also have deadlines by which to provide compositions.

It’s good and not good at the same time because of course, sometimes I wish I had more time for improvement and evaluation but a deadline is also a determinant for finished work and a reminder for me that ‘ok, I did my best and now I leave it as it is’.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

I am a classically trained musician, so the world of production is new to me. But I am fascinated by the endless possibilities it offers. I am learning and adding productional solutions increasingly often to my music.

For the album Dreamscapes, I asked to work on production with German composer Niklas Paschburg and I am very fond of what we achieved. I needed an endlessly wide sound and atmosphere like from a dream and with numbers of effects Niklas created it perfectly.

Mixing and mastering are also very important, and I work on that with very few trusted people who in my opinion have similar sensitivity and taste. Believe me that mixing can change a piece completely - to the extent that you don’t recognize your own composition. This is why I learnt, I ask only a few people I know well for doing that.

One of them is Piotr Wieczorek, my long-time friend who I have known since my studies. We already worked on two albums I created with Hania Rani - Biała flaga and Inner Symphonies, so I was certain he would mix it in a way I imagine for this album. I was right about that.



After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I don’t think I ever experienced this kind of emptiness. When you work on an album it takes about a year, often more, from the moment you compose music until it’s released. So, from my experience I was rather happy and in a way relieved.

When we finally released Inner Symphonies with Hania, I was captivated seeing when this music arrived even without our efforts. It was like music was living its own life after a release and what was best, it was giving something to others. Isn’t that a reason we artists create?



Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

As I said already, I think we can be creative basically about everything if we let ourselves be like that. Making a good cup of coffee can be an art the same as cooking a great meal for your loved ones. I admire people who have that approach to life and find creation in doing simple stuff.

Nevertheless, making music is in my opinion something extremely special. We humans speak words, communicate with them and music is for me is everything in between these words. It can describe the most elusive and tender things. It is a language without words. And it can very often communicate much more than words because it usually goes directly to the heart, not intellect.

I feel lucky I get to deal with this dreamlike world of sounds and can share that with others.