Meet Ian Charlie | Music Producer, Composer & Guitarist

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

Hi Ian, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
I am really into quotes and affirmations!

I always thought that words are very powerful. I even have a notepad that have a different quote on every page.
I have 3 favorite quotes that I put on my work desk in my studio as my daily reminders (See picture).

1. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take. But by the number of moments that take our breaths away.”
This reminds me to be present in anything I’m doing whether it is working, spending time with friends and family. When you focus on one aspect of anything you can’t see the full picture and all the colors and in order to do that you need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself or something. Everything we do has more of an impact than we think and limiting believe that does not help us grow.

2. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Most of us never live our lives until it’s too late or we realize our end is coming. It is so easy for us to get sucked into our daily lives and routines to a point where we are no longer having fun and don’t realize it till we are unhealthy mentally. We get too comfortable in our lives where we forget there are other reasons why we are here.
Our brain are so used to familiarity and afraid to break the PATTERN.
This quote reminds to try something new/Break the Pattern in my daily life such as trying a new type of dish in the menu, taking a different route while driving, going to places I’ve never been etc.

3. “Don’t let yesterday take too much of today.”
It’s hard to let go of past traumas or arguments with others or yourself. This happens to everyone. Not everyone can experience something toxic and move forward fast. I do it myself at times where one little thing bugs me and I let it ruin my whole day. It’s not okay, and it’s something I’m working on myself. This is not an easy world to live in and it’s also hard to fight inner demons, but by telling myself every time I wake up in the morning that “Today is going to be a great day” and think about 3 things that went well on that day before I go to bed helps me a lot to not get sucked into the things that didn’t work out the day before or in the past.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m proud of everything I produce and create. It’s what I feel and what my energy is at that current time and place. I never half ass on anything I do. I was taught to always give it your 100% best because you never know who may call for the next gig. I’ve gotten where I’m at today due to my consistency. I never give up and always keep pushing along even when I can’t find reasons why. I practice almost every day and I eat breath and dream about my goals and the only way I get them and will get them is by less talk and more focus on consistency of my work. I got to where I am today not only by my talent and hard work but by those who are my close friends. My friends are those I also network with and trust. There’s only one way to get your name out in the world and get where you want to be and hard work and knowing the right people who’ve also put in the same amount of work or even more.

I wouldn’t say it was easy but it was very challenging. And yes there were bumps on the road. A lots of ups and downs. But when you put your 100% focus and your positive of energy out, a positive result will always happen and it has.

I want the world to know that in order to be at the top you HAVE to start at the bottom. Don’t be afraid being seen starting from the bottom. We all start somewhere, Ignore all the outside noise, focus on yourself, focus on your craft and being a genuine person always has positive results. Be patient and consistent and you will thrive more not only in your craft but in life as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had friends visiting we would go get coffee/breakfast at a local coffee shop like Café Solar de Cahuenga then drive to Santa Monica beach and soak up the sun, watch sunset and have a good time!

From there we’d go grab some dinner & drinks at Farmers Market The Grove. They have a really good Brazilian BBQ spot called Pampas Grill inside the Farmers Market.
They have so many local beers on tap and it’s an independently owned restaurant which is even better to support.

Now if we wanted to continue a night on the town we would head to the Federal Bar for some live music and I’m sure we’d run into some fellow musicians that we went to college with or had a session or two with.

After that it may be time for bed but within the week my friends and I would go to Bulgogi Hut in Korea Town for some awesome all you can eat Korean BBQ, Tatsu on Melrose for some Ramen, LALA’s Argentinean grill, Stout Burger, hiking at Runyon Canyon, Griffith Observatory and the list goes on. But just hitting up some local spots would be the best for anyone visiting in town for a day or a week. I’d highly recommend checking out these spots if you haven’t for those reading

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Per usual there are always so many people to thank and give credit to and deserve a shoutout. The people I would like to give a Shoutout to have helped me grow, helped me find out more about myself, pushed me to grow into a better version of me, and who have always been on my side through the best and worst times.

My bandmates from WALLA are not just bandmates, they are family. We can tell one another anything and we continue to push each other to be the best and help lift one another in times of need.

My best friend Hannah Ureste is someone who no matter what always has my back and continues to push my creative side in music. We not only laugh and create amazing music together, we talk about real life issues and are able to help one another see the light at the end of tunnels that we may not see in a time of doubt. Without her help, my positivity would not be at the capacity that it is today.

Jesica Yap is also another amazing friend of mine. We go way back to our Berklee days like Hannah and I. Jesica is not only an amazing pianist and composer she’s a ray of light. She’s very understanding and is always there to help.

Overall though, the biggest shoutout is to my Mom and Dad. Without their love and support I would not be here today, and to that I thank them and will forever be grateful.

Website: https://linktr.ee/iancharlie

Instagram: @iancharliemusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cfRF3rHGEqaSiGF8qJWKA

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Mike Nelson @mknlsn Walter Jackson @walterscottjackson JL Cederblom @wildflowernwolf