Meet Eliza Petrosyan | Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eliza Petrosyan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eliza, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I don’t like the phrase “giving up”. I think as long as you love what you do, you should continue doing it to whatever capacity you can and want to. Whether your passion turns into a full time gig or a weekend hobby, there’s no right way to keep going. It all depends on an individual’s idea of “success” and what they want out of their passion. It’s also okay to stop or change your mind about your pursuits.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a musician and my main instrument is the guitar. I play guitar on people’s projects in studio and live concert settings, locally and on tour. I love this role because I get to serve other people’s music and find the best way to bring it to life. It is really special to combine my expression through the guitar with an artist’s intention. I also run playback for some of the projects I am a part of, write my own music, direct, and arrange.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think that nature in LA can be overlooked sometimes, but there are some beautiful spots for hiking or spending the day. A couple of my favorites are the Brand Library Hiking Trail and Elysian Park.

For food, I would take my friend to an Armenian bakery in Glendale for Lahmajun and other pastries. I’ve been to a lot of these bakeries and it would be too difficult to pick one spot. Other places that I love are Octopus Restaurant and SomiSomi.

Of course, we would visit some venues for live music. A cool spot I recently discovered is Gold-Diggers, which has everything from funk jams with live bands to DJ sets. Another classic is the Hotel Cafe, where there are songwriter nights every couple of weeks and shows almost every day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many supportive, wonderful people in my life that I am grateful for, but I want to dedicate this shoutout specifically to my good friends Sarah Hinesley and Rani Adi. Not only are they some of the best instrumentalists I know, but they are also both incredibly skilled at production and arrangement, in the studio and in live contexts. My friendship with them has challenged me musically to try new things, and they are both big reasons why I began pursuing interests that went beyond playing guitar. They make me believe that the goals I seek are attainable and they show me through example.

Besides the endless musical inspiration, they’re both amazing friends and have supported me through many low moments and high moments. Our friendship was a rare source of positivity during the darkest parts of quarantine, and that has continued to stay with me.

I also want to give a big shoutout to my parents, Roza, and Alen, who support me in every way. My mentors from USC, Patrice Rushen, Paul Jackson Jr., and Sean Holt, have taught me everything about music, professionalism, and the value of mentorship.

Website: https://www.elizapetrosyan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliza.pet

Image Credits
astr0blaster; Biata Shem-tov; Flasch; Blake Stevenson