Today we’d like to introduce you to Dhruv Goel.
Dhruv, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in Lucknow (India) and have inherited my deep love for music from my grandfather who strongly encouraged me to learn Indian classical music since a very young age. My family relocated to New Delhi when I was 15 and during my high school and college years, I continued my vocal training with Pandit Nirmalaya Dey while being a part and touring with the band, Jester.
After receiving a scholarship at Berklee College of Music, I moved to Boston in 2013 and studied Electronic Music Production and Sound Design. There I joined the Berklee Indian Ensemble wherein I found an incredible group of friends who are more like family to me now. After graduating from Berklee, I moved to Los Angeles where I started working as a music copyist at JoAnn Kane Music on projects such as X: Men Apocalypse, La La Land, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Family Guy. A year later, I interviewed and was hired as an assistant composer and vocalist at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Production working on movies such as Todo Mal and Sky Hunter.
Now, I work full-time as a freelance composer on films/TV shows, produce music for Facebook (for their Facebook Sound Collection) as well as compose for iSpy Music. I recently produced and released a sample library for Splice (New York) called ‘The Lab: Indian Rhythms’ and frequently freelance as a session vocalist as well.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been an interesting journey for me. I am the first professional musician in my family, so have had to learn a lot of things the hard way. My first few months in LA were rough when I was trying to become financially stable and get enough relevant work. But it worked out slowly!
Another thing that I struggle with (but have gotten much better at lately) is finding work-life balance. Earlier, I would very often work into the wee hours of the night. But now I make sure I start my workday early and end at a reasonable time- which gives me a bit more time for myself and actually helps me be more productive!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my earliest and perhaps happiest memories from childhood is of the times when my family would get together after dinner and sing songs for hours on end!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am currently working on an unannounced project that I am not at the liberty of talking about. But next year, I will be releasing my debut EP! I am currently working on those songs and excited + nervous to share them with the world!
Contact Info:
- Website: dhruvgoel.com
- Email: dhruvgoel13@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/dhruvgoel
- Facebook: facebook.com/dhruvgoelmusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/dhruv_goel
Image Credit:
Taiga Kunii, Anton Ariki and Global Music Institute
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