USC alum discusses his music career and goals

Shawn Halim, a recent USC graduate, is taking the music industry by storm with his talent. Halim studied at the Thornton School of Music as a popular music major with an emphasis on keyboards. Whether it’s producing, writing or performing, Halim has done it all and with enthusiasm and humility. The musician has worked with a wide range of artists including Michael Alvarado and Carissa Rae from Us the Duo and has made a guest appearance as a keyboardist on FOX’s Glee.

The Daily Trojan sat down with Halim to discuss his musical inspiration and upcoming show at 626 Night Market this Friday night at the Santa Anita Race Track.

Daily Trojan: What can visitors get out of 626 Night Market? What kind of activities and attractions are there besides performances?

Shawn Halim: The 626 Night Market is the largest Asian-themed night market in the U.S. Besides really good music, there’s also hundreds of vendors for amazing food, merchandise, arts/crafts and games for a full weekend of festivities. I also hear rumors of sushi donuts this weekend.

DT: What music will you be performing? Any new songs?

SH: I’ll be performing a mix of covers and originals. There will definitely be a few new songs being played. You’ll just have to come and watch to find out.

DT: Who would you say are your greatest musical influences?

SH: Probably my greatest musical influence would be Switchfoot. They inspired me to do music in middle school and they’re still one of my favorite bands. Their songwriting is amazing. As of right now, I’m influenced a lot by Jack Garratt, dvsn, Gallant.

DT: You play multiple instruments like piano, guitar and bass. Which instrument do you connect with the most, and which do you use mainly to write your music?

SH: Oh man, that’s a hard question! My favorite instrument is actually the cello. It just sounds so pretty. I usually write my music on piano and guitar. I try to find musical lines and then write my lyrics and melody around that.

DT: How has attending USC helped shape you into the artist you are, and how has it assisted with your career?

SH: USC equipped me so well for the music industry. I improved a lot of my technical skills as a keyboardist, learned a lot about producing and engineering music and definitely increased my knowledge on the music business side.

DT: What kind of projects are you currently working on?

SH: Currently, I’m building a studio in Arcadia. It’s a crazy project, but we have a venue and all the equipment, so we’re piecing it all together. After that, I’m hoping to record a lot of my original material.

DT: Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?

SH: In 10 years, I really want to be playing music with a few different bands but also produce and engineer music for upcoming artists.