Born in Germany and currently living in Vienna, Austria. With an education that ranges from almost finished language studies at university to training in accounting, project management, vocal training and a certificate as singing bowl massage practitioner she is currently working as office manager and head of Protocol as well as vocal coach.
She started dancing at the age of 4 and began to sing, write short stories, poetry and music at the age of 12. The school choir was the first place to form her voice. After deciding to explore the range of sounds one can make she attended teachers and classes of different genres to find out more about breathing, rhythm, bodywork, singing bowls and vocal sounds.
Photo by Manuela Larissegger
Reading her poetry was extended by making pictures and installations out of them and her interest in other musicians lead her to guest hosting radio shows to play Austrian underground metal bands, being a jury member at a band-contest and conducting over 50 video-interviews with metal musicians within a year, along with writing reviews and taking pictures. Also she sings, teaches, reads and exhibits her pictures.
Photo by Daniela Holub
When not doing this, she likes to be „a princess“ enjoying candles, flowers, whirlpools, good food, meditation and massage.
Famous10
UranianWilly: If you weren’t doing what you are doing at the moment, what would you wish to do and why?
Claudia: Basically I enjoy what I am doing. My office job is not boring and pays the rent. Still I keep saying that I need a secretary at least but of course I can’t afford it. Technical and organizational things take time, which I can’t use for creative stuff. But luckily I am not all alone so at that point many thanks to all the people working with me: photographers, journalists, PR, musicians, technicians, engineers, cutters, galleries, radio stations, artist associations, make up artists, managements, bookers – a long list of people who are often invisible to the public. You can find some of them on my website www.crackthefiresister.net in the section “partners”.
UranianWilly: If I was to turn on your music player right now, what 3 artists/songs would I see on your recently played
list?
Claudia: Usually a mixture of classical music, Metal, Grunge, Rock, Jazz and Blues. So possibly Nirvana, Bach and Ella Fitzgerald or Pantera, Queens Of The Stone Age and Incubus.
Photo by Tobias Hildebrandt
UranianWilly: If you had a chance to bring one person back from the dead, who would it be and why?
Claudia: I decided to pick a musician I always wanted to talk to: Kurt Cobain. It’s not about the fame but about the feeling I enjoy bathing myself in when I listen to his voice. There is so much he transports and shares from the deepest of his heart and soul. I hear people saying that it is a dangerous thing to share such deep feelings and it is true. You might get hurt badly. Still my message behind everything I do is: dare to feel.
UranianWilly: What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into and did you learn anything from it?
Claudia: I fell in love, it didn’t work out and I almost killed myself. What I learned is that life and love is still worthy and shouldn’t be abandoned.
UranianWilly: What three things you regret not learning to do?
Claudia: I am currently learning and I will never stop. I did not take as much time as I should have for learning languages, cooking and instruments though.
UranianWilly: What do you like most about the work you are doing at the moment?
Claudia: With the interviews, radio shows and the BandXchange Int project (a database for bands to find and support each other) in particular but also with the exhibitions, readings and the singing it is like this: Something awakes inside and you are all alone with that idea. Meeting the right people they pick it up and add their own stuff. Whenever that happens I feel happy. It is sharing parts that come from the inside of people and it is an honor to be allowed to receive this gift. It is getting to know people, thoughts, feelings and experiences, making ideas become real. I always welcome requests to collaborate if people are willing to share a part of themselves. In May I have been to New York, Montreal, Medellin and at the Joshua Tree Music Festival and it was two weeks of working together and sharing, which was brilliant. Now I am working on videos about that trip and always have to smile when I see all the people in these videos.
UranianWilly: Do you believe there is intelligent life in the Universe?
Claudia: Yes, I do – which is kind of stupid but kind. But the kind of beings who are kind make me believe that there is intelligent life. Intelligent doesn’t always mean intelligible though.
UranianWilly: What 3 adjectives would you use to describe your personality (even the weirdest or funny example)?
Claudia: Hyperactive, passionate, strict.
UranianWilly: What’s your motto or the advice you live by?
Claudia: I told you the „dare to feel“ thing already and I have two tattoos based on that. One says „music is feeling not only technique“ and the other one says “love, wisdom, sincerity, fidelity, compassion, devotion“ – a constant reminder to share and receive. My advice, which is hard to follow sometimes, is to do stuff while you can. I had times when I was not able to do the things I wanted to do because of health problems, so now I often ask myself if I really cannot do something or if I just stand in my own way. Also I try not to hurt anyone including myself.
UranianWilly: Ten years from now you will be where or what?
Claudia: Hopefully still myself, healthy, doing things I like and happy to be with friends and family. In case of extensive fame and riches I will try and share money with people who mostly have to work for free and the sake of arts and passion.
Before the interview started I asked crackthefiresister “Are the questions complicated?”; There is no such thing – there is always an answer to a question no matter if asked in words or by the way things happen.
