Work, family, and hard rock: Gemma’s story
Content manager by day, hard rock singer by night: Gemma Aleandri shares her personal growth journey through work, family, and music.
What do homeschooling, family, content management, and hard rock music have in common? They may seem like worlds apart, but through the story of Gemma Aleandri, Communication Manager at Mashfrog, we discover a common thread of empathy, creativity, and self-discovery.
How long have you been at Mashfrog, and what is your role?
I joined Mashfrog in December 2023 as a Communication Manager in the Content & Creative Solutions BU. I am responsible for creation, editing, SEO optimization, as well as managing, moderating, and reporting for various social channels.
My path in this field began in a curious way: when I was expecting my daughter, almost seven years ago, I used an app called iMamma to track my pregnancy. Through the online community, I met Monica Diliberti, who later asked me if I wanted to join the moderation team of the iMamma Facebook group. I accepted, and after some training and on-the-job experience, I had the opportunity to turn this experience into a real job, eventually becoming an integral part of the content management team. It was a journey of continuous growth that led me to Mashfrog.
What did you do before starting this job?
I have a degree in Education Sciences and, before moving into digital, I worked for several years as a home educator. I started with internships in the field of addiction treatment, then spent five years supporting a child with moderate-to-severe disabilities, assisting him with therapies and daily activities.
It was a challenging but very rewarding job. However, when my daughter was born, I realized I could not balance this profession with family life: the hours were very variable, and I often worked night shifts. I had to make a difficult decision, but today I am happy with the choice I made and proud of building a new professional path in a sector I am passionate about, which is constantly evolving, and where I continue to grow and learn.
How did your passion for music start?
Music has always been part of my life: I come from a family of musicians—my grandmother was a fantastic pianist, and my mother was a huge fan of bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. I grew up with rock and hard rock, but for many years it remained just a personal passion, never considering turning it into a concrete project.
Only a couple of years ago, I decided to take the big step: I started taking singing lessons to refine my technique and learn how to use my voice properly. It was an incredible discovery journey because I thought I could sing, but I realized that without proper technique, I could not control my voice as I wanted.
This change went hand in hand with a significant personal transformation. After years dedicated exclusively to work and raising my daughter, I felt the need to take back my life and take care of myself. I began a fitness journey, regained confidence in myself, and finally allowed myself the time to cultivate my passions, including singing.
And so today, you are part of the Sons of Lunacy: tell us about your band.
The Sons of Lunacy were born in October 2023 from an idea of mine and two guitarist friends, one of whom I initially formed an acoustic duo with. Together, we decided to create something more structured and recruited two more members: today, we have two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and me on vocals. We play hard rock with power metal influences, and we perform only original songs. The creation of our songs is a team effort: they start from a basic idea from one of the guitarists, then they are rehearsed, rearranged, enriched by our lead guitarist's solos, and enhanced by the rhythms created by the bassist and drummer. I handle the vocal lines and lyrics.
After a few months of rehearsals, where we studied and developed our tracks, in April 2024, we started performing in Roman venues. The audience and industry response were immediately positive, and I believe this project has good growth potential in the Roman underground metal scene. We are currently recording our first EP and recently passed the first selection of the ReyTape music contest, a competition for emerging bands with original repertoires. We will perform in the second phase of the competition in March.
How do you balance this passion with work and private life?
Working part-time allows me to balance my job with my passion for music and family life. The band rehearses twice a month in the evening, and when we have weekend concerts, I bring my daughter along—she has become our number one fan! If the concerts are on weekdays, she can stay home with her dad or grandparents. My family's support is essential, as well as finding personal balance. Music allows me to express myself and feel fulfilled, which positively impacts my work and family life.
What are your expectations for the future?
Professionally, I want to continue working in content creation and social media management, a field I am passionate about and in which I want to grow even more. My goal is to find increasing stability to work with peace of mind and give my best.
As for music, I want to continue learning and improving as a singer, constantly refining my technique. With the Sons of Lunacy, our goal is to get known, have fun, and entertain the audience. We do not have rockstar ambitions, but we want to carry on our project to its fullest potential, with professionalism and passion.
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