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

Hi Harout, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles but always had a longing to live in a rural environment. In my early 20’s I had to have surgery and was put under anesthesia. While I was under, I had an out of body experience that changed my perspective on life. Here was where my purpose was shown to me. In this dream, I was living out in the desert and built a music studio. Since then I have been working towards that goal and have finally reached it. At my studio, Dharma Sound, I record bands live, instead of tracking musicians individually. I prefer live recordings because you can capture so much of the soul and energy of the performance. I had always been fascinated by the free jazz recordings of the 50’s and 60’s and was inspired to do so with modern and vintage equipment. I also wanted to create a space where musicians and artists can leave the constant noise, distractions, and confinement of the city. A place to really focus on the music and performance. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started playing music when I was around the age of 10. I always knew I was passionate about it. I started a few bands in high school and kept on playing till this day. It was never an option or a reality of making music my full time career. With that mindset, I decided to become an EMT for 5 years. Although it was an eye opening experience, I was never passionate about it. After my out of body experience, I decided to start working towards making music the focus of my life. I started the free jazz group ‘Hayokaht’ and started working as a live sound engineer. After much thought I decided to leave the city and move to the Joshua Tree area, where I fell in love with the environment. I found a property out there and decided to start building the studio that was shown to me in my out of body experience. There were many challenges along the way, living in a rural area with no friends or family, the extreme weather in the desert, and also finding work to sustain me. But what I learned was how powerful the human will is if you set your mind to something. You can achieve anything you want if you are decisive and keep moving forward.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are many places in the Joshua tree area to visit. – the integratron – la copine – Landers Brew Company – endless hikes – the many artist’s who have galleries at their home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to thank – Michael Ibarra for taking me in and teaching me what real jazz is. – Michael Hovaguimian for teaching me the fundamentals of drumming. – My family and friends who have supported me. – The book ‘Free Jazz/Black Power’ for giving me insight on how the music industry was taken over. – The creator for everything I have been blessed with.

Website: Www.dharmasoundandaudio.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/dharma_sound?igshid=1n6fv83o3n003

Image Credits
Irena Segarich Harout Gulesserian

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