Here is my first experience about the activity of this band.
       "Ethno seasons" Exhibition this year - I am busy with some routine things, I don't see or hear anything - and ALL OF A SUDDEN - as if time has stopped - everything becomes not so important - I feel literally been pierced by music . This music absorbs me completely by giving a smile to my heart. But I have to go and I have no time for making acquaintances. And music settles down in my soul and occupies the place where it was empty.
      I am simply eager to meet these people and I find out at their website that "AtmAsfera" band (namely, "А" - because "AtmA" - is a real person, and "sphere" - something that surrounds it) and these days- 4 November 2007 - the band has won Ukrainian International festival and they are soon going to the final part of this contest in London. My hope for interview is slowly disappearing - I thought that it would not be so easy to organize a meeting with such stars. But I don't lose hope and I call the manager of the band. He listens to me very attentively and assures "…someone from the band will call you for sure and arrange a meeting". After these words, I lost any hope, frankly speaking, to take interview. BUT next day Andrey Shadiy from "AtmAsfera" band calls me and in a business manner offers to discuss all the details at the coming concert- Do you know about the concert? - Yes, I know about it (I knew about it and I read that it would be on the 17th of November in the Artist's House). - Yeah, sure, I will be there. And here am I at the concert- and again a wave of positive is pouring down to the hall and audience. After the concert I come to them: - I am Taisa - and I called you. - Oh, yeah, sure, it is very nice to see you. Smiles and joyful greetings. But it is not possible to talk, everyone is busy with packing. - You know, we won't be able to talk anyway, so it is better if you come to see us at our place - Andrey smiles to me. I don't believe - I - was invited - to them - to "AtmAsfera" band. To the people who make music which simply fascinates me… Probably, it happens not with me - it is the only explanation. But - we agree to meet coming Tuesday and then we had to leave each other.
        Next Tuesday I am going to meet them; I still don't believe that this interview will take place. And here am I - I came, I am wanted, invited and met with joy and absolutely without any pathos - they meet me as if they knew me long time ago and we simply haven't seen each other (it happens so rarely in our chaotic time). And at last - I am at the home of people whom I admire sincerely - and we start talking…

- I would like to start our interview (because of the events of the recent days) from the hottest news- your victory at the International Musical contest - Global Battle Of The Bands. I congratulate you and please share your feelings and experiences… Were you worried before the performance, how deep was your faith in a possibility to win? And what emotions are prevailing now: joy from victory or new worrying before the final contest in London?

Andrey Shadiy: Well, first of all, we decided to take part in Global Battle Of The Bands only because last year we were in the first five - thanks to this fact we were able to come to final automatically (according to the rules of the contest). So we made this decision - why not to try again - we don't lose anything. Therefore, we had a normal mood, we didn't think about winning at all, to tell you the truth. And maybe because of this we didn't worry at all, we just wanted to play nicely. To play light and joyful music - so that the audience would feel positive and harmony inside. It was the main desire. Especially, on the background of this "heavy" format of Ukrainian final of the contest in general. And we managed to do what we wanted. And therefore, when they announced us to be the winners - we were mostly surprised. Then we became excited - and practically at the same time worried about the coming performance in London. Because it is on the world level and it is indeed worrying, and here we are worried. So at the moment - worrying is the strongest emotion from our victory (they laugh).

 "AtmAsfera" band members:
Left to right: Yuliya Yaremchuk - keyboard, voice. Anastasiya Yaremchuk - flute, voice. Andrey Shadiy - mandolin, guitar, voice. Alexandr Goncharuk (Viy) - violin. Andrey Cherkasov - bass-guitar. Timur Gogitidze - percussions,  darabuka. Igor Sas - acoustic guitar.

- How do you estimate your chances in London?

Andrey Shadiy: It is of course difficult for us to predict (and there is no sense even) - we will see how we go. The most important for us is the desire to always play really nicely - to be able to share our emotions with others. Indeed, this is the most essential thing for us - and in general in our music.

Yulya Yaremchuk: Yes, most of all we would like to create mood, atmosphere where people would feel positive, light emotions and would see joy and love inside themselves. Yes, we realize that this is a contest where places are given, that is there will be a winner selected -we certainly remember about it. But we simply are not focused on this - it is much more important for us what we carry with our music - we would like to share it with people, of course, share this positive which we felt while creating our music.

"AtmAsfera" band - concert on the 17th of November, 2007. Kiev. Artist's House.

- Format of Ukrainian music was rather heavy- most of the bands played rock. What do you think (if you abstract away from the fact that you are the winners), still what music style will adequately present Ukraine at International contest - rock music - or ethno style - the music that you play?

Nastya Yaremchuk: I think that to be "Ukrainian" (as any other "authentic") doesn't mean that we should wear vyshivanki (embroidered shirts) and Ukrainian national costumes and play only ethnic music. Time passes by, conditions of life change, world view changes - and we are not as our ancestors were before - therefore, naturally, that forms of our expression change. The most important for it is to be deep and sincere.

Andrey Shadiy: It is, indeed - the question of taste - different people have different taste to music: as for expressing emotions and for making music.

- You are all so different, so individual. At the same time you represent harmonious, bright whole - not only musical, but also energetic. How do you manage to find such integrity, such mutual understanding? And how does the process of creating music work for you? Everything happens by itself, easily and naturally, or you do happen to have arguments in your creative activity - and what do you do in this case?

Nastya Yaremchuk: Yes, in fact, we are very different. Even though Yulya and I are twins, but we are very different. But we have been working for quite a while - for five years already - we have already realized a lot of things in each of us and learnt how to cooperate. But certainly it was a long and labor-consuming process - as always when strong relationships are created. But we always were tolerant to each other. We listen attentively to each person's point of view and we try to come to general consensus - to understand why someone insists on his/her version both in music and in everyday life. Sometimes, when it is really difficult to solve a question, then we can make a voting - there are seven of us in a band - so this works fine.

Yulya Yaremchuk: One more thing is that personally I have hard time finding compromise in musical issues especially - the way music should sound or the way we should sing and so on.  Also we should note that none of us should have trifles in music - we can spend several hours of rehearsing only to decide whether we should do a pause or not. In everyday life, at home - I don't have a problem to compromise - there is no question in routine life that I would insist that only my way would be done. But when we speak about music, when I hear something and feel it in a particular way, then it can be very difficult for me to compromise, if someone wants to do it in other way. But -sometimes we have to do it, when, for example, play a few versions at rehearsal  and majority votes for the one which I don't feel comfortable with - then we realize the version which was selected by the majority.

- And what do you do if he majority selects the version which you are not comfortable with - then how do you manage to agree with this variant - does it become close?

Yulya Yaremchuk (laughing): It is clear that you are a creative person also, you understand the complexity of situation - no one has ever asked such questions. Well, in fact, sometimes it is hard to accept the situation - in some cases such "change" reminds about itself during each performance. And sometimes one listens deep inside this "alien" version and gradually this personal obstinate insistence disappears, like: "I want my way and no other way". And then you start to hear that this version is really better than the one that you insisted originally on - and you perceive this moment only in such a way. It depends.

- Nastya, Yulya - you are the daughters of a famous jazz man - saxophonist and composer Yuriy Yaremchuk. You started playing together at his ensemble "ЗYAR". Tell us how does it feel to be - musician's daughters, from very birth being in the circle of musical association. When you used to work with your father - was he inclined to indulge you or on the contrary he would be very strict?

Nastya Yaremchuk: The fact that our father is a musician has certainly influenced our choice in life to become musicians, and we are very happy about it. Since early age we remember that our father was interested in music, at home we always had many guests - musicians and artists - and indeed there was a creative atmosphere at our place. We lived in it and it always seemed something very natural for us.
At childhood we started doing gymnastics and playing music (apart from secondary school). At one moment we had no time, so we had to choose either music or gymnastics and Yulya and me have chosen music. Yulya played on piano, and I went to learn how to play violin. And I had hard time learning how to play this instrument. Then my father decided that I needed to change my musical instrument.  When I was at my teacher's room at musical school, we had to decide this question and then there was a sound from the room next door: "Do you know this instrument?". "Yes, flute" - I replied. "Do you want to learn how to play it?" - and then I understood what do I want and since then all the classes and rehearsals were comfortable and joyful for me. So one should always search and choose something that is closer to him/her. 
But our father never encouraged us to play music - it was our own decision. We simply were very much inspired by our father and his work; so thus, we decided to choose music as our life. 

Yulya Yaremchuk: Yes, atmosphere at our house was very creative thanks to our father - and  our home always associated with a small conservatory - there is dad in one room playing saxophone, Nastya - playing flute in the other one, and me - playing piano in the third room. And our father helped us a lot in music - he taught us improvisation - because at conservatory everyone played only from notes. Certainly it is also not so easy to play from notes, but the highest mastery is in playing light and fascinating improvisation, which unfortunately is not paid much attention at conservatory. When speaking about work with our father - it was always very easy - our father has never been strict to us. He could always create something, play something that we wanted to learn - so nicely, virtuously and easily as he could. He could always inspire us with his example - he is a wonderful musician who can always surprise and encourage us

- Your band is mostly coming from Lviv. Is it relevant to say how Lviv influenced the character of your music? How much of Lviv is there in your music and how is it revealed?

Nastya Yaremchuk: I think for me "Lviv component" of my music is presented by classical academic knowledge. It is the ability to hear music in its exquisite virtuosity, to hear all musical details and differentiate between blends and an ability to create them in your music. This Lviv component has been given to me by musical school and I am very grateful for it.
Yulya Yaremchuk: In general I think that it is not possible to separate the mood of your music from the city you are coming from or live in. So Lviv is a city with a very regular life, very different from swift capital rhythm of Kiev. In Lviv people have a lot of time to meet each other and talk - there is no need to have such excuses as New Year or someone's birthday. People meet just simply to sit at one of many Lviv "Tsukarnya". Lviv is a city where they celebrate Christmas three-four days, when people go to each other's homes and wish each other wealth and happiness in New Year - and it is simply impossible not to come to see one of your friends. In Kiev people have no time for this. Apart from it, Lviv is quite a small city and therefore almost everyone knows each other, and every cultural event is publicly known. Certainly all our worldview created by this Lviv atmosphere is expressed via our music.

- Personally for me and not only for me (I know this for sure) - your ethnical works touch the deepness of soul. Could you please tell us what do you think makes this emotional animation which is born due to your creativity?

Andrey Shadiy: Well, this is probably the most difficult question … In fact, it is a mystery that we don't know ourselves. But we can suppose (and hope), that if our music touches the audience and in fact comes to the deepest corners of their soul, if people want to laugh sincerely or cry - then possibly we managed to express sincerely and purely something more than simply appears before our eyes. To express the pulse of something which pierces our whole life and gives real sense to our life without which a person just finds no joy in life, gets stuck in routine problems and forgets about his/her real goal - TO LOVE - to simply feel LOVE and share it. Love not for someone in particular, but in fact - to everyone. When you love - you want to share - you want to come to those who you love and give them the best you have - give just like that - simply because you love those people. Just give, NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. This is most important.
It is something that give joy - ability to grant something gratis when you become happy by just giving something to someone, and not because you expect something in return. When on stage we have the only important goal - desire to share our joy, the joy which we felt by creating our music. And only this, in fact, can fill a person with real happiness. We invest these emotions and feelings into our music - and if there are people that are impressed by our music - then we managed to achieve the main goal - and it is most important for us in our work.

Timur Gogitidze: Certainly sincerity is something that is of utmost importance. If a person wants to share something, it should be something that they have experienced and it is real - and only then this feeling can touch other people. Because any artificiality or any falsity of soul can always be heard and it will never cause any sincere admiration.

- And - in conclusion - what would you like to wish your fans and our readers - and in general everyone? Your advice, wish, parting words that you can give from your experience?

Nastya Yaremchuk (laughing): Andrey, it is for you…

Andrey Shadiy (also laughing): Well - from the highness of our experience certainly we can wish… (everyone laughing)… And if seriously, we would like to wish everyone not to cling to those things that don't satisfy us. Always see the root of it. Because very often while people are striving to get some things, they don't have time and don't think seriously whether or not they really need these things - or maybe - even DON'T NEED. Just look around, find the people who already have something that you are striving for and have a closer look at them - are they happy or not… You can be very much surprised that those things that you are striving for can not satisfy your expectations. You see that you are searching after some illusory happiness which is imposed on you by someone. Therefore, follow your happiness and be happy.

Our conversation could probably go on forever - talking about musical tastes, experiences at childhood and experiences we have in life now, but musicians have to start their rehearsal and I am also in a hurry, and we say good bye each other. We say good bye and discuss some important questions on the way which we couldn't converse about during the previous hours of our conversation - I am already at the door and we can't stop talking. But- it is time - I wish successful performance in London and I say goodbye to them and I console myself with a thought that this meeting is not certainly the last one...

Taisa Dja Suria.