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

Hi Samarth, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“It’s better to sound new than to sound good (but do both)” is one of my favourite quotes by my mentor, Dave Pensado. It’s a quote that might not mean much to people who aren’t doing music, but this can be applied to all professions. This quote inspires me to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions that people might not have heard. It motivates me to try to experiment with things that are not considered “normal”, especially in the music world. I always strive to put something new in every song I mix.

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.
When I was five years old, my parents signed me up for guitar lessons. At first, I didn’t enjoy it, as playing on a full-size acoustic guitar was challenging. After a year of perseverance, my teacher introduced me to legendary bands like The Beatles, ZZ Top and Led Zepplin. Listening and watching videos of them play boosted my desire to learn. I wanted to pick up my guitar and imitate its style, technique, and coolness. From something forced, it turned into something I actually looked forward to.
At thirteen, I got the opportunity to play for the first time on stage. The lights, the energy, and the sound made me feel alive, and in my head, I was a part of those videos I’d seen. That’s when I knew that music was my calling. After that experience, there was no turning back. I grabbed every opportunity to be on stage and played my heart out. My love for music further made me explore other aspects, whether it was working behind the faders on the console or handling the production side at live music events.

I was fortunate enough to get accepted to the Berklee Summer Performance Program, Valencia, in 2016. At the program, I entered a professional music studio for the first time, and that memory has stayed crystal clear. Witnessing a full recording and mixing session broadened the scope of my entire musical experience. I knew I wanted to sit on that chair, between the monitors where everything sounded fantastic.

Originally from India, I moved to LA in September 2021 to join the Musicians Insitute in Hollywood to further enhance my craft of recording and mixing. Within three months of being in LA, I started assisting one of the greatest mixing engineers in the world, Dave Pensado. Amongst many invaluable things, Dave showed me what music sounds like. I started paying more attention to details and the subtle things that made a good record, great. Without recording, mixing and mastering engineers, music would lack excitement, vibe, emotion, and all the things that make us want to groove. To me, that’s what music is about.

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?
Los Angeles is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You can get from a beach to the mountains to the deserts within a couple of hours. I would definitely hit up Malibu, Santa Monica, and Venice beaches and make a trip to Catalina Island. One of my favourite things to do is just drive in the hills of LA. There is good food everywhere here. Some restaurants to check out would be Portos, Cavaretta’s, Cola Pasta and different taco trucks for sure.

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 people who have supported me during this journey. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my family. They have supported me through my best and worst times and have always encouraged me to always strive for excellence in everything I do. I would like to give immense credit to mentors, Dave Pensado and Jaime Estalella. Not only have they shown me what great music sounds like but have also given me the tools to be my best self and to keep pushing the envelope. I want to also give a massive thank you to my friends who have stood by me in my personal and professional life and kept me grounded.

Website: https://samarthdhawan22.wixsite.com/mixed-by-sam

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samarth.dhawan.969

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samarthdhawan5396/videos

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