Dominyka Mauliūtė on Creativity, Philosophy, and Finding Her Own Voice
Lithuanian guitarist Dominyka Mauliūtė discusses creativity, individuality, and blending jazz with cinematic textures and philosophy—while building a deeply personal artistic voice shaped by emotional honesty and intuition.
Dominyka Mauliūtė is a rising jazz guitarist from Klaipėda, Lithuania whose passion for music began at the age of eight after hearing the Beatles for the first time. Inspired by their sound, she picked up the guitar and quickly showed a natural connection to the instrument.
Her teacher, Deividas Kontrimas, introduced her to jazz and helped guide her musical development at Juozo Karoso Music School, where she performed with the school’s jazz ensemble, “Stop Jazz.” Through those early experiences, Dominyka discovered a love for improvisation and expressive playing that continues to shape her music today.
Alongside her musical career, Dominyka has also pursued academic studies in philosophy at Vilnius University while studying jazz guitar performance at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Her interest in philosophy often overlaps with her creative work, including projects exploring the idea of an artificial “music language” inspired by logic and the philosophy of language. This unique combination of artistic and intellectual curiosity gives her work a thoughtful and original perspective.
Today, Dominyka continues to perform at festivals, concerts, and jazz clubs both as a solo artist and with ensembles. She is passionate about sharing her love of jazz with younger musicians and encouraging others to explore creativity through improvisation. With her mix of talent, discipline, and imagination, Dominyka is carving out a musical identity that blends jazz tradition with cinematic atmosphere, philosophy, and emotional honesty.
➡️ We connected with Dominyka, she talked about balancing discipline with intuition, the life-changing influence of her teacher Deividas Kontrimas, and why sensitivity matters more than speed. From Wes Montgomery and Emily Remler to dream-pop textures and experimental theatre, Dominyka shares how she’s building a deeply personal artistic voice that reaches far beyond the boundaries of jazz guitar.
🎸 Q & A
What does your current guitar practice routine look like?
Right now my practice routine is less about “hours” and more about attention. I still work on jazz fundamentals every day — harmony, ear training, transcribing, improvisation, and technique — but I also spend a lot of time experimenting with texture and atmosphere.
Some days I’m practicing Wes Montgomery lines, other days I’m building dream-pop soundscapes or writing spoken-word passages over guitar loops. I try to balance discipline with curiosity. Jazz gave me structure, but creativity happens when I leave space for intuition too.
What’s one piece of advice you wished you had been given when you were just starting on guitar?
That sensitivity matters more than speed. When you’re young, you often think becoming a “good guitarist” means becoming technically impressive. But music is really about emotional honesty and listening deeply. I wish someone had told me earlier that your individuality is more valuable than perfection.
You’ve described how you met your guitar teacher Deividas Kontrimas, who introduced you to jazz-music. How did that first encounter shape your mindset about the guitar and about jazz specifically?
Meeting Deividas Kontrimas changed everything for me. Before that, guitar was something magical but still abstract. He introduced me to jazz not just as a genre, but as a language and a philosophy. Suddenly music became about freedom, conversation, and interpretation.
Jazz taught me that there isn’t only one “correct” way to express something. That mindset influenced not only my playing, but also how I think about art and life in general.
What gear do you currently favor (guitar, amp, pedals)? How much does gear matter for the message you’re trying to convey?
I tend to gravitate toward warm, expressive tones. I’ve played an Ibanez George Benson model quite a lot, and I also love guitars that feel slightly imperfect.
For pedals, I’m drawn to reverb, delay, tape saturation, and modulation — things that create atmosphere.
Gear definitely matters, but only if it helps communicate emotion more honestly. I don’t think gear can replace artistic identity. It should support the story, not become the story itself.
Jazz is a broad field. Which guitarists or other musicians have been your biggest influences (both inside and outside jazz) and why?
Inside jazz, Wes Montgomery was important to me because of his phrasing.
Emily Remler also influenced me a lot.
I also love Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, & Hailu Mergia music.
Outside jazz, my influencess are very cinematic and emotional: Mazzy Star, Scott Walker, The Doors.
I’m inspired by artists who create entire worlds, not just songs. I love music that feels theatrical, hypnotic, and poetic.
As a composer, how does your writing process begin? Do you start with melody, harmony, rhythm, or something else?
Sometimes it starts with a chord voicing, sometimes a lyrical phrase, sometimes just a feeling I can’t explain. I’m very interested in tension between beauty and discomfort. I often improvise first and then analyze later. Because I study philosophy as well, I think a lot about language and meaning, so lyrics and sound often evolve together for me.
What’s been your biggest challenge as a guitarist and musician?
Probably balancing technical expectations with artistic authenticity.
In jazz especially, it’s easy to become trapped in comparison or perfectionism. At some point I realized I didn’t want to only become a technically “correct” musician — I wanted to create something recognizable and personal. Learning to trust my artistic instincts has been the biggest challenge, but also the most liberating thing.
What’s next for you musically—any projects or goals you're working on?
I’m interested in blending concert and theatre into one immersive experience, so I plan to do rock theatre shows. I’m also continuing to experiment with composition, philosophy, and the idea of music as a universal language.
⚡ Lightning Round
One album every guitarist should listen to?
Joe Pass - Virtuoso
Desert island guitar and amp?
A semi-hollow guitar and an old Fender tube.
What guitarist should everyone know about?
Julian Lage
Check out Dominkya playing Wes Montgomery's 'D-natural Blues':
