Meet Grammy-winning Producer and Audio Engineer Ari Levine

Spotlight on Recording Arts Alum Ari Levine

At the tender age of five, Ari Levine found his calling for music while at Toys “R” Us. Of all the places for a young kid to discover their life’s passion, Ari found his by convincing his grandparents to buy a Muppet baby drum set. That mini drum set sparked a passion in Ari, leading him down the long road to Los Angeles.

Growing up in New Jersey, Ari wanted to eventually transition from working in construction with his family to recording and producing music full time. Ari needed to collaborate with other artists and knew Los Angeles would be the best place for his music career.

From Recording Student to Grammy-Winning Record Producer

When he landed in Los Angeles, Ari immersed himself in the industry and converted his one-room apartment into a home recording studio. He enrolled in The Los Angeles Recording School (at the time called The L.A. Recording Workshop) to master his engineering skills. As a student, Ari took advantage of the campus recording studios. Any chance he could get his hands on the mixing boards was another opportunity for Ari to learn a new skill. Ari developed an ear for music by dissecting songs and listening to all genres from Jazz and R&B to Rock and Pop. This self-discipline led him to later work with Bruno Mars. Before Mars became the multi-platinum superstar artist that he is today, Ari worked in the studio with their production company The Smeezingtons developing songs like Just the Way You Are (2010) and Locked Out of Heaven (2012). His early collaborations with Mars helped Ari achieve success as a young record producer. Ari spent most of the 2010s working with top-charting artists like Snoop Dogg, Ceelo Green and Adam Lambert.

With a GRAMMY win to his name, Ari Levine has accomplished so much early in his music career. Now, Ari is working on other projects in film and TV. He’s worked on soundtracks for popular shows like The Masked Singer, Britain’s Got Talent and The Voice. Ari’s focus is on raising his young daughter and working with other physical art forms like film and production.

Welcoming Ari Levine to The Spotlight Academy

Want to follow along Ari Levine’s journey? Watch the Spotlight Awards on Thursday, September 2, 2021, to see Ari Levine get inducted into The Los Angeles Film School Spotlight Academy!