Today we’d like to introduce you to Miska Dolansky.
Hi Miska, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Sure! I believe I started playing bass guitar around June or July of 2016. My Mom bought me a neon green Dean P bass as a Christmas gift and would let me play on it, so I can start learning. I had tried other instruments in the past, like guitar and piano, I also love to sing but have always struggled with my confidence. So in the end, the bass is what chose me and what I have been sticking to.
The first year, I spent learning my favorite music, which at the time was a lot of emo music like; Panic! at the Disco, My Chemical Romance, Twenty-one Pilots and Paramore. I used songsterr.com to find tabs because at this time, I did not know how to read standard music notation. I also recommend YouTube tutorials too, good to see their technique. After noodling on my favorite songs for a year, I decided it was time to take the next step. So, I started taking lessons at La Jolla Music with Tony Muhammad (Great bass teacher and player if you get the pleasure to work with him). I was under his learning for a couple years. He introduced me to Jazz and taught me all the fundamentals for music like scales and chords and how they work in Major Scale Harmony. He also helped me to read music notation and learn to play with my fingers (up until Tony, I was using a pick to play).
While I was taking these lessons and doing school, I decided I also wanted to try and put my first, Miska signature bass together lol. So, I bought a thunderbird bass kit, painted it black, put some EMG pickups in it and after a couple weeks, I finished the bass and better understood how anatomically, the electric bass guitar worked. Soon after, I was encouraged by a friend to apply to Guitar Center and I was hired! I’ve now been working there for 3 and 1/2 years as a sales associate and I couldn’t be happier, I love helping people get what they need!
After high school was Grossmont College, the first year I was just taking general ed, I hadn’t known about the music department at Grossmont. In the summer of 2022, I attended the Berklee bass work shop and the Berklee 5 week summer program which changed my life. It was an eye opening experience to go to a school where everyone there takes music as seriously as you do, if not more. It was amazing to also get to play and talk with some of my favorite bass players!! Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey were usually around, so you could ask them pretty much anything. There were also jam nights hosted a couple nights a week with different genres. One thing I was getting into was instrumental progressive metal like Intervals, Polyphia, or Omnific and Jacob Umansky (Bassist for Intervals) was literally hosting the Metal jams so I had to go! It was SO EPICCCCC, I got to play Jacobs personal Dingwall bass and that was sickkkk!! Dingwall basses are made with such high quality and getting to play the bass that Jacob plays and records on, was such a dream come true moment for me!! Thank you Jacob!! Your Awesome!!
After Berklee, I had direction and jumped right into the music department at Grossmont College. I was the bass player for the Big Band Jazz Ensemble led by Derek Cannon (Co-chair of the Music Dept) for a couple years (up until this spring, 2025) and I’ve been playing with the Cadence Vocal Jazz Ensemble since Fall, of 2021, led by Melonie Grinnell (the other co-chair).
In January of 2024, my mom helped me to get an upright bass which was a game changer for my playing (thanks mom). I took to upright pretty quickly and I’ve had the honor to study with Justin Grinnell for the past year. Justin Grinnell is a local jazz bassist and a faculty at Grossmont College.
Now, I play in my own Jazz Fusion band called Sticcy Rice, led by Christian Florendo on Trumpet, Brandon Huynh on Guitar, and Silas Sick on Drums. I also play in a Folk band called Rabbits Foot, led by Brendan Hilgeman and Johnathan Hanninen. I’m also still attending Grossmont College and its music classes. On my free time, I’ll be known to work on beats/beatmaking, when I’m not working on Jazz Rep. and Scales. You can also see me around hopping into other bands when the bass is needed or at Guitar Center when you need to make a purchase!!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have a couple that came to mind, the first is my mental health. In the past, I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety and my own self confidence but its been getting better. It just makes it hard to take opportunities even though sometimes the decision may be obvious. I try to surround myself with people I trust and care about and my boyfriend (Christian Florendo) helps push me to be more confident in myself (I love you Christian <3)
One of the obvious struggles I think a lot of musicians go through is, the support from the parents. Even though my parents have helped me a lot through my journey, there are also things that they do or have said that shows me that they don’t care about my music. Its also because I make music so much a part of my person that it affects me to see they don’t care about it, but maybe that means I need to get a life or something, idk.
Another struggle of mine is being a women and working with men. Growing up, I would tend to get along more with boys vs girls, I wasn’t really your typical girly-girl. So most of the time, a lot of the guys I would befriend would just crushed on me and that would pretty much fizzle out any relationship I made. It was hard for me to learn to trust after trying with people who saw me only as a potential love interest. It hurt putting myself out there after a while, so I stopped. I focused on what I truly loved, music. As I’ve become more a part of the community, I saw that you aren’t see for your sex but rather your instrument and your musicianship and that’s just pushed me harder to keep doing music. Keep doing what you love.
Somethings that’s a constant struggle for most is money. It’s something I’ve needed to sustain since I’ve been able to work (I think 16). It makes scheduling hard and I don’t have nearly enough practice time. I am not fortunate to have a rich family or win any lottery but I’m thankful to work at Guitar Center and for what I have. I cram in any practice time I can when I have a second.
Something I used to struggle a lot with was improvising. For the first couple years of my playing, it was difficult to improvise and solo when playing jazz. I couldn’t figure out how bring out my sound and it was partially because I wasn’t being taught to improvise over changes, just walking and learning the melody. Improvising is supposed to be the fun part that you make your own, but because of how I learned, I was scared and didn’t know how. But one day when I was taking Derek Cannon’s Jazz Improv class, he said, “Miska, have you ever tried to sing what you play on the bass?” and I said, “no.” So, I listened to Derek and tried singing and playing and it helped a lot. I have a way easier time singing out my ideas then I do playing them so when I sang and played, it allowed me to open up those ideas on the bass guitar. Up until earlier this year, I’ve been mainly using that method to solo, but I’ve been going back to guide tones because I find my brain stops thinking about the notes and I just feel out what I play. This isn’t good cause I don’t know how to build my ideas up and down, so that’s what I’m working on now. Guidetones.
Anyone who knows me well knows that one struggle of mine is not being able to drive. It’s worse now because I play upright lol but July 8th, hopefully I get my license, wish me luck!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work at Guitar Center as a Sales Associate and I specialize in anything bass, drum machines, and pedals but know a lot about most the things we sell there. I’m proud that I get to help musicians like me get the gear they need or beginners taking their first steps. I’m lucky and I’m grateful to work with some of the smartest and most talented people I know. I think my background in Jazz and beat making, kind of make me an interesting person to talk to.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I tell this to people at Guitar Center too, play what you want/love to play. Whether that be the gear or the music, enjoy the process. I think its easy to be to hard on yourself and it can ruin the experience or the fun of playing, remember its supposed fun.
When I started out, I wish I knew that being a musician nowadays, meant doing more then just the music. You also have to be your own: content creator, editor, studio person, gear head google, performer, teacher, Marketer, etc. While your working and going to school and bettering your musicianship, its a lot. At times its hard, but ultimately its worth it!
Pricing:
- 1 hour lesson $50
- 30 Min. lesson $30
- Studio Work or Sitting-in/Subbing, Contact @miskadolansky@gmail.com
- For Booking/Band Pricing, Contact @sticcyricemusic@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miska_inc/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaeladolansky3397
Image Credits
5th Photo – Sticcy Rice hosting the jazz jams at Bay Park Coffee October 24, 2024.
6th Photo – Rabbits Foot playing a house show March 8th, 2025
7th Photo – Grossmont’s Cadence Vocal Jazz Picture Night!!
