Meet Kevin Qin | Audio Engineer and Music Producer

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

Hi Kevin, why did you pursue a creative career?
I picked up guitar in my early teens and I immediately started dreaming of being a rockstar, as teenagers do. But around the end of high school I had a music instructor who helped me realize that a career in music is a possibility and gave me lots of real world advice on how to actually make a living.
Honestly I didn’t have that many options haha. I wasn’t a very good student and the only other thing I did was martial arts, and the thought of having to watch my diet and workout every day for the rest of my life sounded awful so I decided to go with music.

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.
As an engineer/producer, my favorite part about my job is that no two projects are alike. Sometimes I get song that has a lot of room for me to do my thing and curate the sound, and sometimes I’ll get a song thats great the way it is and I just need make subtle tweaks to enhance the overall vision. The variety I get in my work keeps me on my toes and always forces me to continue to learn and grow as a creative, despite all the years and hours I’ve put into my career.

Most of my career was built off of the relationships I developed with my community and word of mouth. It definitely wasn’t easy, and I’d say I’m still working to overcome a lot of challenges that comes with this career. Lack of a set schedule, inconsistency of work, and just dealing with polarizing personalities are just some of the difficulties that are apart of this job. What helps me get through it is my support system of friends, family and colleagues that are there for me when times get tough.

A big part of my journey as a musician is learning how to build community, and I believe a strong community around you is the key to success, not only in music but any endeavor that one wishes to pursue.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Los Angeles is one of the most culturally diverse cities and has so much to offer. Personally my favorite things about the city is the abundance of good food to eat and good weed to smoke, which compliment each other very well. I’d probably start the day with a hike to Griffith Observatory. Most hikes around LA central are just slightly challenging walks and despite the Observatory being very touristy, the view is really nice (especially around sunrise/sunset). Afterwards we’d find a place to smoke up and then grab a meal. Ktown has so many good kbbq spots and other great korean food, but most of the mexican food trucks are really solid in that area so we’d probably go that area and see where the high takes us. For dessert, my favorite spot in Millet Crepe in Little Tokyo around downtown LA. We’d then go catch a show; there are so many venues and so much talent around the city that if you just walk in a venue such as Morrocan Lounge or Hotel Cafe, you’ll probably have a good time. If we’re not too tired we’d end the night by smoking up at my recording studio and just relaxing in after a long day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the support of my family, to whom I owe everything I’ve accomplished. Aside from them, I’m also very appreciative of my good friend Ashton who was one of the first people I met and worked with when I first came to LA. He introduced me to a lot of people in the city and most of my closest friends, clients, and community are all connected to him; he’s the type of person to hype you up in a room you’re not even in. I will be forever thankful for him and all the people that took me in and made LA feel like a home.

Instagram: @thedr.q