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

Hi Lauren, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks has been a key role in my journey. It’s the reason why I’ve accomplished anything in my career. Moving to Los Angeles at 18 was terrifying and I encountered many obstacles. I had years that weren’t so good and had to deal with a lot all on my own, but I would NEVER take any of those experiences back. They have made me grow so much. I took a risk when I decided to teach myself how to produce, took another risk when I learned the audio engineering side of things. I was worried it would set me back, because it was a lot to learn and I wasn’t sure if even be good at it. Taking that risk pushed me so far forward. I’m so glad that I didn’t give up.

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 have been playing piano since I was three years old and started writing songs as a teenager. I always had a dream of moving to Los Angeles to make a career out of my love for music. It has not always been easy pursuing music. I used to all of my money trying to get my songs produced, mixed, recorded, etc. I didn’t like the way they would sound and it was getting too expensive. That’s when I decided to teach myself how to produce. I’ve been producing for three years now and mixing for a year. Though it took non stop practice and a lot of failure, it was the best decision I made! Since then I’ve had music and toplines signed to labels, publishing companies, synced in tv shows, competed in NBC Songland Season 2, I was in People Magazine, and now I can actually make money producing and engineering. It was worth it! I’m still learning every day and pushing myself to be the best that I can be. I also sell hand painted jackets and commission artwork across the country.

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?
My favorite spots in LA are in Malibu for sure! There’s a place to go cliff jumping into pools of water and it’s so much fun! I love the scenery. I love the beach. It is therapeutic, just sitting there watching the sunset and smelling the sea. It’s magical! And Topanga reminds me a lot of Santa Fe, New Mexico (I’m from New Mexico). The trees, mountains, beautiful, southwestern plants, feels like home. I also love going to Los Angeles Crest in La Cañada at night. You can see the entire city and stars in the sky the further in you drive.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this to my mom. She has been through everything with me and nobody had ever had my back the way she does. She’s the reason I didn’t give up when I felt discouraged. There’s nobody like my mom! She’s my best friend and I would not be where I am without her.

Website: Laurenismusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamlaurenmusic/

Twitter: Lamlaurenmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamlaurenmusic/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCDEhJda4Puw07LZqwZScmZA

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.