Rising Stars: Meet Alan Aslan of Franklin Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Aslan.

Alan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I got started doing music in high school in college, mostly as a means of collaboration and socializing. I went to school initially as a guitar studies major but was drawn to the school’s music technology program being that it warranted association with others to achieve a common goal: expression. I moved to Los Angeles initially to help my family at first but stuck around for the beach and the prospect of great music, and have been working towards consistent collaboration with like-minded artists since 2018.

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?
The road has not been smooth, no sir. To this day, I still struggle with trying to garner clients and support myself financially. But in middle school, I had this teacher make the class read Alex and Brett Harris ‘Do Hard Things’ and the lessons written in that book have driven my life trajectory since 6th grade: to do something difficult, physically and emotionally draining is not your life’s purpose; it gives your life purpose. So I struggle with a smile on my face and continue to better myself in my craft as a musician and producer/audio engineer.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m essentially a jack of all trades. Initially, I got work in Los Angeles as a session guitarist, played in a small group in East LA while I taught lessons and seek out work as an audio engineer. Eventually, I found myself taking internships at these incredible studios like Aftermaster, Mad Muse, and All Welcome to further my understanding of balancing producer and engineer responsibilities. I’d like to say I’m known for highlighting the very best of what makes a client or friend’s track shine. When I play guitar or bass for someone, I feel as though I’m taking on two roles: one of a performer and one of the hype man. I loved playing live music, and just like the rest of the world, I can’t wait to go out and perform live for an audience once it is deemed safe to do so.

I’m really proud of the fact that each collaboration I’m a part of really highlights my progression in working towards being a better guitarist, mixing/mastering engineer, etc. Music, like all art forms, is only really successful when you have a good group of folks working together to achieve that singular goal. I think recognizing that and making sure to highlight the talents of those around me as much as myself is what sets me apart from other musicians or producers. I know I still have plenty of work to do to develop my talent, so why not share the spotlight with other talented folks?

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think people are often surprised at how much glee I take in any project I’m a part of. Be it playing guitar, assisting someone’s production, recording a vocal for the 12th time, or making a mix for a client sound distinctly different from the previous bazzilion iterations; I love every aspect of it. Positivity and euphoria are a big part of the deal you get when working with me

Contact Info:

• Email: alanaslan1@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanawesomepicturegreatjob/

Image Credits
Images shot by Caitlin Hill, Vivian Mora, Louie Macias, and the University of Oregon