Meet Leonardo Merchan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leonardo Merchan.

Leonardo, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am originally from Bogota, Colombia. Started playing guitar at the age of 12 and quickly became well known at the local rock and metal scene. Later on, I was accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. At Berklee, I earned a Music Degree with a dual major in Production and Classical Composition with a minor in Conducting for Orchestras.

After graduating from Berklee, I moved to Los Angeles with the main purpose of surrounding myself with the best musicians to create the best possible music. I became an audio engineer at the legendary 17Hertz Studios (Previously One on One Studios) located in North Hollywood, California, where bands like Metallica, Kiss, Alice in Chains, Motley Crüe, Michael Jackson and many others have recorded some their most prestigious albums.

During my time at 17Hertz, I worked as engineer for saxophonist Bob Reynolds, winner of 2016 Grammy Award with the band Snarky Puppy and also engineered for B.J The Chicago kid, also nominated for 2016 Grammy Award. I also engineered orchestral sessions for conductor Danko Drusko, from the Hoosier Philharmonic in Indiana and the Youth Los Angeles Orchestra. I also was a sound engineer and sound editor for the popular tv show Dancing with the Stars Other. As a resident engineer, I also worked with contemporary rock bands such as Papa Roach and Orgy.

Lately, I have been involved with the motion picture industry. I Performed guitars and did additional recordings for “March comes after April”, winner of the Los Angeles Film Awards. Worked as Sound supervisor for “Anabolic Life”, winner of the Orlando Film Festival for best film, and also worked as music audio engineer for the film “Mixed Status”. Currently, I have been working on my solo album along with multiple bands in the Rock scene in Los Angeles.

Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Many challenges were finding the right people to work with and show my skills in the area that I feel strongest the most, but also it is very important to keep an open mind about any project that would come along. It is a very competitive industry so I had to learn to be more flexible and experiment with areas outside my comfort zone. Socializing and networking are the most difficult aspects about a career in music or the entertainment industry in general, but they are for sure the best skills that we as artist need to have a solid career.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a composer, producer and guitar player focused on the rock and heavy metal side of music. It is a part of the music industry that still reach out to many people. Everything I do as an artist focuses on bring back the more organic feel in music, it can be in a rock band situation or even with a music score for a movie. Real sounds have an effect on people that can’t be described. I always try to find the balance between organic and synthetic.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Music Industry keeps changing every day, from new streaming services to a new music style that just became popular. It is almost impossible to predict what the industry might look like in 10 years but as long as I stick to do what I like and true to it, it won’t matter.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_leomerchan_

Image Credit:
Carlos Hernan CH instagram @se.ache

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