Rising Stars: Meet Nimrod Shoval Shrem

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nimrod Shoval Shrem.

Hi Nimrod, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
From a young age I always paid much attention to music, whether it was in TV shows or video games, I always found the music fascinating. I wasn’t raised in a musical family, even though my father is a musician, but my family did love music. All the way from classical, to opera, to contemporary music. 

When I was 7, I started learning piano but didn’t show much interest. It wasn’t until two years later, when I decided to learn guitar, that I really got into music. I listened to bands such as Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Queen, and more in those styles. I never pondered on what I want to do when I grow up, but about 4 years later, without realizing it, I found what once was a hobby became my main path. I studied in ‘The Alef School of Arts’ In the contemporary music program and later continued my studies at ‘The Rimon School of Music’. After 3 years there, I transferred to ‘Berklee College of Music’, in Boston, where I’ve spent the last 2 and a half years. 

After graduating this December (2023), I finally closed the academic chapter in my musical journey and moved to LA to start building my career. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In that sense I’ve been very lucky because I never really had to deal with financial problems or any pressure from my family. I grew up in the center of Tel Aviv, where you could basically find anything, you need. There were about 3 music schools, a bunch of music stores, a verity of guitar teachers, and my mother could afford whatever I needed throughout my progress in music. 

The challenges began when I entered Rimon because until then, I was considered by others as a very technically gifting guitarist, but suddenly, there were a lot of great guitarists who made me feel very average compared to what I was used to. Of course, it was a good thing because it also showed me how high I can and should aspire, and it pushed me to work harder and eventually got me to where I am today. 

The second challenge was when I auditioned for Berklee. The tuition fee was not cheap, and I did my best to get a big scholarship, but even though I got accepted to Berklee, I got no Scholarship, which resulted in me staying for another year in Rimon before auditioning again. Fortunately, the second time was more successful as this time I did get a scholarship. 

Now that I have finished my academic chapter in music, it is time for the real challenge to begin. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write a lot of original music in the style of Progressive Rock, with influences from other genres such as Classical, Fusion, Metal, Alt Rock and more (I try not to limit myself to a specific sound or theme). I haven’t released anything yet, as I am still searching for band members to perform the music with. This is one of the purposes for me moving to LA. 

In addition to that, I write instrumental Rock/Fusion music as well, which I will eventually record and release under my own name as a solo artist. 

Those are my existing main projects, but I am always open to working with as many creative minds as possible. I believe the more people do that, the richer the world will be. 

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
It’s hard to say. If you look at the most successful pop songs on the charts, there has been a great decline in musical and lyrical depth and intention. I feel like the commercial agenda is much more apparent nowadays than 15 years ago. With that said, there have been a few artists who have shown astounding creativity in the recent years. Young artists like Jacob Collier, or Billie Eilish, and Finneas have managed to reach fresh sounds and ideas with break the traditional formula in the pop industry, and honestly, in spite and because the huge distance in Genres and styles, I would love to work with them someday and find out what could come from these mixes of ideas. 

I guess my bottom line is there is no telling what the industry is going to be like in the next 5-10 years. There is no telling what it would be like even a month from now because there could come another young new artist who will change it all again and will inspire a whole generation of musicians. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nimrodshovalshrem.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nimrods7/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054435251338