For more than 70 years, some of world’s most respected musicians, producers and DJs have used HARMAN’s exceptional audio solutions and products from the studio to the stage. In honor of Make Music Day 2019, we sat down with Aasheesh Paliwal of HARMAN Professional Solutions, to learn what attracted him towards a career in music, his role as an Influencer Relations Manager at HARMAN, and his message to musicians and non-musicians celebrating Make Music Day.
Q) Tell us about your work as an Artist or Influencer Relations Manager here at HARMAN. What does that involve?
Aasheesh Paliwal - Before I joined HARMAN, I was a DJ and Producer myself, and still produce and play music regularly. In my role at HARMAN, I connect aspiring artists and content creators with the best audio products on the planet.
HARMAN has a rich audio heritage with an umbrella of incredible legacy brands, like AKG and JBL. Our brands create the exact products that I believe the younger generation of musicians need to be successful, including superior mics, monitors, headphones, amps and more. However, these brands may not be top of mind for these rising musicians. Therefore, in my position, I connect with people who make electronic music to introduce them to the HARMAN family of brands.
Q) You’re a DJ yourself – does that help you with your work here at HARMAN? Does your passion for music influence how you relate to the artists you work with?
A.P. - I feel extremely fortunate to be an artist and to be entrenched in the EDM community. It not only gives me an understanding of what particular artists like from the brands they work with, but I feel when I reach out to them with a HARMAN email address, they see me as a peer instead of someone who’s trying to exploit them from a corporate perspective.
Before I reach out to other artists on behalf of the company, I always put on my ‘artist hat’ and ask myself, “would I be excited about this product?” or “is this a product that will best suit them given the type of artist they are?”
Q) What aspect of your job do you enjoy a lot? Is there anything you’re working on that has you really excited?
A.P. - I see a huge opportunity with the younger, up-and-coming artists who may not be receiving a ton of love from brands yet. Not only are these rising artists excited when we reach out to them, but it gives HARMAN an opportunity to get involved with new artists with new niches.
I’ve also enjoyed working on an awesome video series here at HARMAN, called the JBL Masterclass. The JBL Master Class live event series features a different rising artist each month offering a fresh perspective into their creative process and production secrets. Additionally, we offered another cool program called Mixed by JBL Remix Contest. Visitors were able to participate by creating a remix. The final winners were granted the opportunity to collaborate with Dj Quix from New Zealand, were mentioned in an official release on Dim Mak Records, and received a pair of AKG K275 Reference Headphones and a pair of JBL 104 Monitor Speakers.
Q) On June 21, music-lovers around the world will celebrate Make Music Day. What advice would you give to a novice musician who might be playing an instrument for the very first time on MMD?
A.P. – My first piece of advice to novice musicians is for them to go watch the JBL Masterclass videos! Newcomers can also learn a lot from YouTube videos. My other recommendation is to be patient with yourself. As learning any sort of music production is challenging – practice and patience is key. I entered the musical world about six years ago, and truthfully, I didn’t feel fully comfortable with my work until three years in.
Whether it’s your first time playing an instrument or making a mixtape, always remember to take your time, be creative, and importantly, have fun! The beautiful thing about making music in the 21st century is that anyone can create any sound they can imagine. My parting advice to those participating in the creation of music for their first time - is to not take yourselves too seriously. Learn the rules well….so you can break them later!
Each year on Make Music Day, music-enthusiasts across the world gather to celebrate the profound impact music has on our lives. As music is integral to our company’s heritage, HARMAN is continually working hard to develop the tools to help artists create and audiences enjoy. Stay tuned to our corporate social channels this month for the full details on when and where HARMAN’s Street Studios will be popping up. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on the blog for more.