My musical journey began in Tehran, Iran, where I first discovered the path that would eventually shape my life and career. However, the severe limitations and restrictions surrounding music and creative expression made it increasingly difficult to pursue that path freely. Ultimately, I was compelled to leave Iran in order to continue developing as a musician, artist, and educator, a decision that became a defining turning point in both my personal and professional journey.

As an independent artist and producer, I create music under the name HAIRYDREAMS. I strongly believe in—and live by—the concept of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) music: the idea that artists can take ownership of their creative process, develop a broad understanding of how music is made, and move confidently across different stages of production when needed. This philosophy has deeply shaped the way I approach both music-making and education, without limiting me to any single workflow or way of working. For me, technology is not a substitute for musicianship—it is another creative instrument.

My academic journey has followed many of the same questions that emerged from my own experience as a self-taught producer. I completed my Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Calgary, where my research focused on music production education, particularly the challenges faced by independent and self-directed learners in multitrack mixing. My research explored how musicians learn production outside traditional classrooms and how better learning environments, peer communities, accessible resources, and technology can make that process more effective.

Teaching has therefore become a natural extension of my creative work. I have taught music technology at the university level, guitar performance, music theory, and music production, working with learners from complete beginners to university students. I am particularly interested in helping students understand the connection between technical knowledge and artistic intention—learning not simply which button to press or which technique to use, but why it matters musically.

My experience also extends into the physical side of music-making. As a professional guitar technician, I work directly with instruments, setups, maintenance, troubleshooting, and the details that affect how a guitar feels, responds, and performs. That hands-on experience has given me another perspective on the relationship between musician, instrument, technology, and sound.

Having lived, studied, worked, and made music across Iran, Malaysia, and Canada, I have also been fortunate to encounter very different musical communities, educational systems, cultures, and approaches to creativity. These experiences continue to influence the way I make music and the way I teach.

Although my work takes several forms—artist, guitarist, producer, educator, researcher, and technician—I see them as parts of the same practice. They are all driven by curiosity: curiosity about sound, about technology, about how people learn, and about how an idea can develop from the first note played on an instrument into a finished recording.

At the centre of everything I do is a simple belief: music is something to explore, create, understand, and share.