By Lea Packer
September 11, 2026
Neil Levin: From Saddleback to Berklee
Oscillating between blues, classic rock and psychedelic rock, 26-year-old Neil Levin describes his sound as “cosmic blues.”
Neil grew up with a dad who was a professional musician, so music was a constant throughout his childhood. He began tinkering with GarageBand in high school, mixing hip-hop beats to his liking.
By the time he enrolled at Saddleback College in 2018, the Mission Viejo resident had already developed a creative foundation that led him to the school’s commercial music program. He studied under Dr. Ariel Alexander and Dr. Norman Weston, two instructors who “nourished” his affinity for music.
“Dr. Alexander is incredible at getting the superstar out of you,” Neil says. “She has a way of communicating things that open your eyes to what’s really happening in the music and tools to become a professional in the industry.”
Neil credits Alexander with teaching him the “kind of tenacity” needed to pursue a career in the music industry and says her guidance helped prepare him for that journey.
Bringing His Music Home
Saddleback’s commercial music program is a unique, tight-knit environment, Neil says. Although he didn’t “share the stage” with many of his fellow students and musicians, he still keeps in touch with them for the occasional jam session.
After Saddleback, Neil earned an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Music Studies from Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Now he's bringing his music back home. Neil will appear as a special guest with Backdraft, an Orange County classic rock band made up entirely of firefighters, at the Mission Viejo Night Market’s Oktoberfest celebration on September 19, 2026, from 5 to 9 PM.
