Have you ever heard that saying, “everything happens for a reason”? Well studio artist, Harlen McNeil has definitely proved that to be true! Harlen is an amazing musician and performer that never even meant to get into music. In 6th grade, he found himself needing an extracurricular activity and just happened to pick the school musical. He has loved it ever since! Since that point, Harlen has participated in musicals every year across three different schools and The Hanover Theater in Worcester.
Harlen brings a positive and fun energy with him every time he steps into the studio! We have had the pleasure of working with him for almost two years now. When discussing the studio, Harlen said, “My experience at the studio has been wonderful! I love the connections that I’ve made with the people who work there, it makes it more like hanging out with friends.”
Harlen is currently working on the song “Still Fighting” by Ben Folds who he credits with being a musical inspiration. “I love the style of Ben Folds as a musician because he manages to put a very matter of fact emotion in his music.” Ben Platt is another musician that Harlen looks up to. “I also respect Ben Platt for his impeccable singing abilities and stunningly high voice.” These influences can clearly be seen in Harlen’s own performances and song choices.
Outside of the theater realm, Harlen has performed at an open mic put on by his school and he describes it as his “first real moment singing as a solo artist.” While Harlen doesn’t view music as a career for himself, he plans to continue with it as a hobby throughout his life. When asked if he has any original music out, Harlen’s response was, “Not currently, but who knows, maybe one day.” So this means that we are going to continue to hold out hope for a Harlen original in the future!
We love being able to work with Harlen and we can’t wait to see how he continues to grow as an artist!