With six acclaimed studio albums to her name, Alma Micic stands out as one of New York’s most in-demand jazz vocalists. Critics praise her as a “first-rate jazz vocalist” with a voice that “soars to the sun.” Originally from Belgrade, Serbia, Alma moved to the U.S. at age 20 on a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. Since then, she’s flourished in the East Coast jazz scene and now calls New York home, where she frequently collaborates with her husband, renowned guitarist Rale Micic. We had the pleasure to sit down and discuss her career and latest project, Lilac Wine
Alma, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. When you look back at your earliest memories of music in Serbia, what do you think shaped you more: the sounds you heard, or the circumstances you grew up in?
I think it was the sounds I heard, early on, but also where I heard them- jazz was present in small clubs as well as big jazz festivals, which were at the time affordable to attend, so I went to every concert, and the atmosphere of hearing live performances impacted me in a big way.
Leaving your home country to pursue music is a huge emotional and practical decision. Was there a specific moment when you knew you had to leave, and what did you have to sacrifice personally to follow that instinct?
This is a hugely personal question, and it’s hard to answer it. My homeland was torn apart by war, then sanctions followed; most of my peers were trying to leave, and some of my best friends had already left. When Berklee offered me a scholarship, it was a kind of miracle for me, and I knew then that I was leaving, probably for good. In terms of sacrifice, it was my parents who sacrificed the most. I’m an only child, and they let me go so far away all by myself, and helped me financially as much as they were able to at a really difficult time. It was hard to be away from family and friends. However, I was able to find my footing really quickly, and my own sacrifice didn’t seem that great anymore; it felt like a blessing.
How did the experience of being “between worlds”—Serbian by origin, building a life and career in the U.S.—change the way you hear your own voice and choose your repertoire?
Until then, I focused on Jazz standards and other forms related to jazz, soul, and Motown. When I spent some time in the United States, I also discovered that my own musical heritage plays a big role in the way that I interpret the songs that I sing. I started exploring more of the very traditional music that I had not been familiar with prior or maybe just heard in passing. For my senior recital, I arranged a traditional song from my father’s hometown in Montenegro, about a young girl Sejdefa, who is in love but has to marry another. Then, on my very first album, I also recorded it and it got so much radio play. I realized that this resonated with audiences in addition to my jazz repertoire, and I included some of my favorite traditional songs that I have a personal connection to in my albums and performances over the years.
At Berklee, you were surrounded by talent and competition. What was the hardest truth a mentor or teacher ever told you there, and how did it change the way you approach your craft?
I feel like there were quite a few moments like that during my time at Berklee. -When I came to Boston, I already had a career in Belgrade and had a bit of arrogance because of that. It was a great gift to receive some of life’s lessons to make me more down to earth and to appreciate the music the right way.. It was also the realization that jazz does not owe me anything, but I owe everything to jazz.
When you first imagined a music career, what did you think it would look like—and how different is the reality you live today? Were there moments you seriously considered walking away?
These are all really great questions. I considered walking away when I was about 25 years old. I can’t remember what the reason was other than that. I turned 25. That seems really funny looking back. I had opportunities to have a different path in the pop and electronic music world, but I made a conscious decision not to pursue that. A music career in jazz is one that you give a lot up for and have to be very persistent and love the art form. I don’t think I could have imagined the reality of any kind of life when I was young and just starting out in this career, but I did have a chance to experience a lot of situations that I knew I did not want to be a part of in the music business. I think I really always want to have a say in my own career as opposed to being molded by a producer or a company.
As one of the most sought-after vocalists, you’re not just an artist—arguably, you’re also a “product” in the eyes of the industry. How have you navigated the tension between artistic integrity and the pressure to be marketable or “on trend”?
This is kind of related to the previous question, in jazz we do have a certain freedom, more so perhaps than other music styles -jazz itself is freedom. At the same time, it is a part of the music business, and there are trends, certainly. As a vocalist, sometimes I’m asked to do a certain style exclusively for a certain performance, depending on the venue or the recording session. I have more or less artistic freedom depending on the situation. I also like to connect with the audience, which is my biggest influence at times. I will sing requests if I like them. Or decline if I don’t. It really depends, and as you said, we navigate as artists all the time.
Lilac Wine – Tribute to Helen Merrill brings together a powerful ensemble: Eric Alexander, Rale Micic, Brandon McCune, Alexander Claffy, and Jason Tiemann. What did you have to let go of- ego, control, habits, to trust this band and allow the music to breathe truly?
This is my second recording with this band. We often perform live as well, so we have a lot of trust in each other‘s creative output. I don’t think I had to let go of many things, as I feel so comfortable with them.
Paying tribute to Helen Merrill is a bold move. How did you avoid simply recreating her work and instead find a way to honor her while still sounding unmistakably like Alma Micic?
No two voices are alike, so I knew that the record would have my sound, even though I’m choosing songs that made Helen Merrill’s repertoire over the decades. I guess I had the confidence that I would honor her rather than copy her with the music, and I hope that we were able to achieve that. She is a great inspiration to all, especially young immigrant women who grow up in the Bronx.
Was there a particular song on Lilac Wine that forced you to confront something personal—grief, memory, doubt—that you hadn’t fully processed before? How did that emotional weight shape your performance?
This, for me, was the title track, Lilac Wine. It’s a song I had never performed until about a year ago. When I started learning it, I included it in my repertoire a few times before the album recording, and the audience reacted very strongly to the story and the interpretation. It’s a confession of sorts, the story of this song, admitting that control is lost and an intoxicating feeling has taken over. Love, or the idea of it, sometimes feels like this, especially when it’s young- so that’s something I confronted in my interpretation.
With six studio albums as a leader, what is one lesson you wish you had understood before you ever stepped into a recording studio—and what “mistake” are you now glad you made along the way?
I wish that I wasn’t so hard on myself early on while recording, and that desire for perfection would at times outweigh the emotion. I’m glad that doing just one take because of time constraints and making some small mistakes sometimes creates the best atmosphere.
You’ve benefited from mentors and formal study. Now that younger musicians look up to you, what do you feel a responsibility to tell them that they might not want to hear about the realities of a life in music?
I think that a person learns a lesson best when they experience life on their own without anybody telling them what to do or how to do it so I refrain from giving advice unless someone asks me directly- and even then, I point out that we are all so different and unique. It’s hard to give advice that would fit another person, that’s based on your own experience. Being patient is hard in any profession as well as persistent, even when people are saying no. I would think that’s the hardest lesson to learn.
When you think about your body of work—from leaving Serbia to Berklee to Lilac Wine—what do you hope listeners will still hear in your recordings 20 or 30 years from now, and what are you still searching for artistically that you haven’t yet captured on record?
Hopefully, I will be able to still create music at that time in the future! In terms of future projects that I dream about, it is doing more of my original music. In the past, I have included some of these compositions on my albums. I would also like to record at least one live album, as well as one album that consists of just original compositions.
For further information on the artist, please visit almajazz.com
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