Today we’d like to introduce you to Edwin Alpanian.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up in an Armenian family that was very involved in art and music. I was born in Tehran, Iran. My family and I moved to the U.S. when I was seven. My parents always played classical and jazz music in the house. On my father’s side, I had an uncle who was a professional musician. On my mother’s side, my uncle was a filmmaker and my mother’s great uncle was the legendary Abstract Expressionist, Arshile Gorky. My older brother Alan and I were always into drawing when we were very young.
Later when I was nine years old, I began playing guitar which quickly became an obsession and still is to this day. It was clear by that time that we would both eventually go into the arts as a profession. My brother Alan and I own and run a creative studio in Woodland Hills, CA called Alpanian Design. We specialize in everything from branding to editorial design. We have worked on some of the most recognizable brands in publishing such as Motor Trend and Hot Rod magazines to companies such as Disney and Paramount.
I also have a progressive rock band called Alpanian, where we actively play the Los Angeles music circuit.
Please tell us about your art.
As far as my music goes, it really revolves around the guitar and myself as the principle member of the band Alpanian. Half of our setlist consists of instrumental songs, as well as vocal songs. Its all about the melody, regardless of how heavy and slow the song is. Melody has always been what moved me in music, far more than lyrics. For me, the most important thing in writing music is it’s honest and not contrived. Even if you go from sounding like Slayer to Journey or vice versa if that’s what’s flowing out of you then just let it be.
When I was very young around the age of ten or eleven, most of my inspiration came from bands like Van Halen, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy. Later, I discovered guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai that really took the instrument to the next level so their approach had an impact on me. Now, I don’t know what influences me as a musician. I listen to everything from Bach and Mozart to Sinatra and Miles Davis to film composers like Ennio Morricone.
As far as Alpanian Design goes, its a different approach… it’s more calculated. I feel as a professional creative director/designer, it’s paramount that you’re mindful of the fact that you need to design with a purpose of conveying a message or developing a brand. So you remove your ego in terms of your personal tastes to a degree, yet still apply your design disciplines and principles. If your personal taste is medieval/gothic, you can’t necessarily apply that to designing a promo for Ford Motors. Good design always lies in the nuances and subtle details.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Oddly enough, I think one of the challenges facing artist is the saturation of art on a global scale due to the internet. Yet at the same time, its the internet that allows you to reach a global audience independently. Ultimately, it depends on your perspective.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Alpanian Design’s portfolio is available at alpanian.com
My music from my band Alpanian is available everywhere music is sold.
I also have some live shows online on YouTube. Also, check for live dates at Facebook.com/alpanian
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alpanian.com
- Phone: 818.438.5933
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @edwin_alpanian
- Facebook: facebook.com/edwinalpanian
- Other: facebook.com/alpanian
Image Credit:
Credit Kaley Nelson and Eddie Kasparian
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