Today we’d like to introduce you to Harley Eblen
Hi Harley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Music has been the cornerstone of my entire life. I started studying classical cello when I was 10, found a love of Celtic and Bluegrass in my teens, and learned to write songs in my early 20s. From there I was excited to figure out how to put that all together by learning production, and finally that led me to string arranging and record which I do today.
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?
Oh it absolutely has not been a smooth road! I don’t know anyone making music for a living that has ended up where they are because things have been easy. Like a lot of musicians I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health, and with navigating how to make a living from a creative pursuit. They’ve both been huge challenges.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an Emotional String Arranger. I specialize in working with Folk, Pop, and Indie artists and music producers to get their songs to punch you in the gut. If you’ve got a song you’re working on that just doesn’t have the emotional impact you know it’s capable of, that’s where I come in.
What my clients have told me sets me apart is how much I care about each project. When I agree to work on a song, I pour everything I have into making sure it not only sounds beautiful, but that it matches the artist’s vision. It takes trust to bring someone into your creative process, so I don’t take it lightly when someone gives me that trust.
There’s nothing quite as satisfying to me as taking a song and giving it the string section it needs to come alive and really resonate with a listener. It’s such a joy getting to do that every day.
What makes you happy?
Now that I’m in my 30s, I’m finding that it’s the simple things that make me happy. I get to do work I love. That brings me so much joy. I live in a beautiful town, get to see good theater, read good books, and spend time in nature.
I find that my moments of bliss most often come in two forms:
The first is when I overcome a challenge in a string arrangement that I’m working on. There’s nothing like the high of getting a tricky idea to work.
The second is the feeling of connectedness when I go for a walk in the woods. That sense of losing myself looking up at a tree and walking along a river. The feeling that I’m just a small part of this world.
I feel fortunate that I get to experience both regularly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://HarleyEblen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harleyeblen/
Image Credits
Dominic Romano
Janet Eblen
Bettina Mueller-Tuescher