It’s the winter of 1992 in the small town of Butte, MT. Inside a modest white house with red shutters is a blue-eyed child thumbing through her parent’s extensive vinyl collection and mimicking the melodies. The 4-year-old places each record carefully on the platter and adjusts the needle, curious to hear what new sounds will emerge. This pattern continues each day until all the music in the house has been played, and most of the songs memorized by heart.

Born into a conservative blue-collared family, Magdalena spent the early part of her childhood homeschooled. Although music was not part of the elementary curriculum, much of her time was spent singing by the large 70’s styled sound system with speakers the size of a large sofa. Although raised in a non-musical family, it was a house full of music lovers. Her parents had vastly different tastes, resulting in a large repertoire of music. “Name That Tune” was often played with her parents and siblings during road trips. Her father, a cowboy, businessman and logger, stuck to the pure country including George Straight, Vince Gill and Alison Krauss. Her first concert at age 6 was Toby Keith, where she humorously caught the star’s guitar pick when thrown into the audience. Her mother, a child of the 60’s, preferred the mid-century jazz and funk including Santa Esmeralda and George Benson. Magdalena also grew up listening to vocal powerhouses including Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.

Raised in a small country town, Magdalena began her journey singing in church, school plays, talent shows and family functions. An avid swimmer, Magdalena excelled in the sport, which instilled a disciplined routine once she entered public school. A natural mezzo-soprano, she excelled in choir where she sang and toured through her college years. Her middle school choir won the Pacific Northwest Choir Tour. She continued to work on her vocals and perform throughout her teens, including the Montana Special Olympics and numerous sporting events. Upon graduating, Magdalena accepted multiple scholarships to Concordia University in Portland, OR including music, cross country and academic.

It was at the University level where Magdalena discovered her passion for creative writing. An English major, she honed her literary skills onto paper and began writing short stories and poems. Her senior thesis was a memoir, diving into the personal details of adolescence, struggles with body image and personal relationship obstacles. 

Upon graduating, Magdalena won a karaoke contest out on a Friday night with friends. She was approached by a music manager who offered her a job as a singer for a country band in the area. Excited for the opportunity, she accepted and performed at multiple events with The Sacred Road Band. Unfortunately due to mismanagement and band disruptions, Magdalena parted ways and shifted her focus into an office career while waiting tables at night. For several years she gained experience in the accounting and legal fields as a day job, sharpening her writing and communication skills. Magdalena worked her way into fine dining and made serving her primary source of income for over a decade. Although not her calling, she supported herself working two jobs (clocking 70 hours a week) but continued to sing at occasional family functions upon request. For the most part, the artist had removed herself from music during this period.

An Italian and fine dining foodie, Magdalena was cooking in her small apartment on a night off when Bobby Darin’s “Beyond the Sea” randomly streamed across the airways. The smooth voice of Darin made her stop abruptly. It was on this evening that she embarked on her jazz journey, diving into the classic standards. She learned a collection of over 100 songs and began performing in fine dining establishments. Options were limited, as COVID-19 shut down much of the local live music scene during this time. She became a regular act at Clearwater’s local high-end steakhouse Bascom’s Chop House. Inspired by a mix of the Sinatra era, dark lounge vibe, old money status and the shaken martini cocktail scene, she began to collaborate with local musicians to produce pieces of her own.

Her first recording, a cover of Hoagy Carmichael’s staple “Summertime”, released in 2022 followed by her original song “Fooled Me”. Magdalena continued forward and co-produced a collection of traditional holiday tunes, debuting her first album, “It’s a Wonderful World” in November 2023. Keeping the jazz great’s renditions close in mind, she covered classic holiday tunes from Peggy Lee to Dean Martin. On April 24, 2024, Magdalena released her rendition of “Georgia On My Mind”, commemorating the day the song became the official state song of Georgia in 1979. 

True to her versatile music nature, she switched gears and began collaborating with numerous rap and R&B producers in the summer of 2024. She released her first dark R&B piece “Bad Omen” in the fall of 2024. The Halloween inspired song brought a fresh sound mixing 90’s R&B with her smooth jazz vocals. A collaborator once joked, “Be sure to remove the Auto-Tune on Magdalena.” (A non-negotiable the artist insists on during recording sessions). “I don’t want anything to do with it. Mom always said practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. If you have to rely on a computer to automatically correct your voice, you can’t sing.”

Magdalena continues to push forward, breaking industry rules and reviving the smooth vocal era of the 50’s while blending in her unique sound. Her first original R&B album “Magnetism” releases in 2026. Beyond the album, Magdalena has many ideas and plans for her music. The born and bred Montanan will not eliminate the potential for country music in her catalogue. “If you are an artist, the music will never leave. You can’t escape it. That feeling will linger and poke until you, quite literally, face the music.”