What is the best thing that I love about my work? 

My favorite aspect of being a professional musician is emotion. In many ways, music is my therapy and medicine.  I can always and fully express the way I feel through the art of performing. 

In good times – speaking through music gives me even more joy. When feeling low,  it makes me feel better too, as if I confess my feelings to the audience through the sound of flute.  It’s a real vent.   

What is my idea of happiness? 

My idea of happiness is simple. It is living a family-oriented life filled with joy, laughter, music making and good coffee!

What is my greatest fear? 

My greatest fear is the fear of God. There is nothing else that makes me feel such way. This is not a kind of fear that paralyses my soul. It is the fear that makes me try to do better every day, to treat the people around me the best I possibly can, to keep my inner peace and pray.  That fear often makes me think and analyse whether all of it is good enough or I can still grow. And guess what? I always conclude that growth is necessary.

 If I would think about some of Earthly fears, I would for sure say fear of flights. Being on a plane while my life is in hands of the people I don’t know feels a real challenge. 

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? 

I don’t really deplore anything in myself. When I become aware that I am not doing something well, I put all my efforts to change or improve what makes me feel that way. I don’t give up until I do.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?

At the first place I admire my flute professor Miomir Simonović from The Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade (Serbia). Professor Simonović taught me to be a musician that I am today, he showed me I can be artistically independent, he always supported my ideas and helped me to shape them better when I needed correction. He was my teacher for many years and is a person I feel I can always reach to. 

I also admire professor Rene Izquierdo from UW Milwaukee. Although he is a guitar professor, he taught me so much about artistry just as a flutist would and understood every issue and concern that I had when I just moved to study abroad at the US in 2017. I got some most important professional advices and motivation from him when I needed them at my beginnings here at the US. 

On what occasion would I lie? 

I believe white lies are sometimes necessary. I don’t like lies, but I would lie to protect the people I love in some situations. Sometimes we simply don’t need to know the truth because it would do harm. This hasn’t happened to me many times, but I did hide some things that would emotionally hurt people I love – for their own good. 

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? 

There is no definite answer to this question, but it does happen that sometimes I dislike the energy in the music settings. Sometimes, us musicians end up in toxic environments where people are so competitive that they start being extremely rude towards the others. Unfortunately, having this happen to me in early years of my musical journey taught me that not everyone wishes you well professionally. It also taught me to forgive when such things happen, focus on my progress, and move on wishing them only well in future. People do these things when they are not confident themselves.  

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? 

I am always the happiest in present, because that is where I am at and where I can act. I am happy working as an adjunct professor of flute at the Union Adventist University in Lincoln, Nebraska, playing the flute and singing weekly at the Westminster Presbyterian Church and having occasional performances with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra.

If I could, what would I change about myself?

Sometimes I would like to be a little bit less stubborn in my opinions and decisions. I must say that stubbornness brought me more good than bad in life, as it was closely related to high motivation in making progress, but I really should’ve slowed down and reconsidered some things I did in past. Thankfully none of them were of extreme importance or left no consequences on my personal or professional life. 

 What is my greatest achievement in work?

I would leave to others to judge about my greatest achievements, as I believe it would be narcissistic if I spoke about them myself. All I can say is that I try to do the best I possibly can every day.

One thing that deeply touched me and that is worth mentioning was people crying in my performances. Knowing that my music reached to the depths of their hearts was an achievement every time. This takes me back to the question number one in this interview and my answer: emotion. That is what matters in this job. 

 Where would I most like to live? 

I would like to live outside of city jam, surrounded with nature, in such a place where I can grow my own garden, smoke meats and have only sounds of nature around me – without traffic and noises of urban environment, but still close to the city where I can work in professional music settings. 

What is my most treasured possession? 

My most treasured possession is joy. I strive to find it everywhere and I feel like it’s working every time. Whatever I do, whatever I own I try to have it with the same joy.

Even if it doesn’t feel joyful, I try to find at least some of it even in bad times.

What is my most marked characteristic?

If you asked my American friends, they would say it is my Eastern European accent (it never goes away, not even after 7 years here at the US). Some say my most marked characteristic it is my personality and the fact that not a lot of things can scare me or get me off track or anxious.  I believe that being a child of ex-Yugoslavia formed me to be tough, as we, as a country, were through a lot in the past. Everything we went through taught us to deal with many kinds of problems but also to be united. We learned how to be strong but not arrogant, tough but not cruel and to always share with one another. I think that is my most marked characteristic.

 What is my most inspirational location, in my city? 

My most inspirational location is my hometown Smederevo (Serbia)  is Danube promenade. Walking there, both alone or with my brother, is something very special for me and makes me relax, reset from everyday stress and inspires me for future projects and goals.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? 

My favorite place to eat and drink in Smederevo, without any doubt is my mom’s home!

What books influenced my life and how? 

Spiritually, the book that influenced my life was Gifts of the Desert by Kyriacos Markides. Through the Christian Orthodox lenses, it taught me so much about the way of living and believing in God. 

Professionally, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne helped me gain the self confidence back years ago as a very young musician and arrived when I needed it the most.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? 

Kyrie Eleison recorded by Divna Ljubojević.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? 

My mom and my grandmas. 

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? 

I think my greatest fan is my dad, my sponsor am I and as for partners in crime – those are my brother Miljan and my best friend Milena. 

Which people or companies would I like to work with ? 

I would like to work with people and companies who treat their employees well, who are fair and respecting their time, who are on high level of artistry and helping keep a strong and healthy mindset.