Meet Or Shahar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Or Shahar.

Or, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, but at the age of six my family relocated to Vancouver, Canada – there my musical journey began. It was around that time that I became deeply fascinated with pop music, buying CD’s and constantly listening to music. After a couple of years, my parents decided to return to Israel, and I picked up the guitar as a main instrument. In middle school, I got accepted to a prestige music program that trained young musicians to perform at a professional level, to big audiences, and started studying classical harmony and theory.

In 2008, My ensemble was chosen and invited by the Ministry of Education to perform a unique arrangement for a classic tune at the national music education convention, showcasing a modern approach to a classic song. Around that time, I was recognized by the acclaimed bass player/producer Yossi Fine (David Bowie, Brian Eno, Lou Reed), inviting me to join him on stage at a masterclass and play.

I went on to study music production at Rimon School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. In 2015, I received a call to join Omer Adam (an Israeli male pop star) on tour as the lead guitar player in various cities. While on tour, I eventually got recognition by local producers and managers, which led me to play with different major artists on live shows, TV performances and various studio sessions.

In 2016, I joined the production of Mary Lou, the all-time highest-grossing Israeli Musical (based on award-winning – Zvika Pick’s songs, which also toured the US) as a guitar player. The musical was a big success, acclaiming great reviews about the show and the music played throughout. Later that year, I started working on sound design for local advertising agencies and placing my own original music. Later that year, I moved to Los Angeles.

After relocating to the west coast, I started spending more time in the studio, writing music while occasionally playing guitar with gospel mogul Jason White (Sunday Service) in different productions.

In 2018, I was approached by internationally acclaimed Roberto Agency / Roberto Music to produce a record for one of his new signed artists, which led me to work with – Noa Kirel (recently signed by Atlantic Records). In the past couple of years, my music was featured in various commercials (Fidelity Investments, Gymboree), TikTok. In 2019, I produced a song featured in the movie “Like A Boss” (with Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne, Salma Hayek).

Earlier this year, I worked in the music department for the upcoming films “Moxie” (Amy Poehler, Hadley Robinson – Netflix) and “Happiest Season” (Kristen Stewart, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy – TriStar pictures/Sony) both set to be released later this year.

And as for now – I feel very blessed to keep busy during these difficult times. I am currently working on releasing my debut artist project “Leo”, while also writing and producing for other artists.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think most of the obstacles and challenges I and many other artists are dealing with especially during this global pandemic are the uncertainty and constant evolution of the music industry. A lot of productions have cooled off or completely shut down during the past months, and we are headed to new times with new rules. Whether it’s no live shows/ no live audiences or working remotely, I feel that the need for being constantly dynamic can take a big toll on anyone both mentally and physically. Being able to quickly adapt and pivot is crucial for artists and any creatives.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, my life was always surrounding music. I was performing and singing in the living room on a nightly basis, which later on led to playing the guitar in front of my family and friends. Aside from music, I am a big sports fan – especially basketball (Go Lakers !!!!). When not practicing guitar, I’d go to the park near my childhood home and play 3 on 3. I also played little league baseball from 2nd grade and even took a shot at playing ice hockey (sheesh, it’s way harder than it appears on TV). From childhood to present, I have always lived about 20 minutes from the ocean/sea. Being able to go to the beach, re-charge your thoughts, reflect and get inspiration – I now understand that moving here to Los Angeles was meant to be. I definitely believe that growing up in diverse cultures, influenced by Western and Middle-eastern roots crafted my unique sound, style and approach to music. Knowing to balance and walk that fine line between these worlds has opened up great opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leoshahar_/

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