Meet Niko Rosenberg | Software Engineer, Guitarist & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Niko Rosenberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Niko, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
Moving to San Diego,

I was born and raised in Hawai’i. Lived there for the first 22 years of my life. It’s a small town vibe, which doesn’t always offer a lot for the modern creative. I left a lot behind to do that, and it’s been some of the hardest years of my life — but moving away from home and throwing myself into new scenes really helped me grow up, expand my artistic horizons and opened up so many opportunities for progression.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been teaching myself music since I was 9 years old. Started on piano playing video game scores, to jazz guitar at 14, to producing lofi beats at 15, and have just been following my own rhythm for the past 15 years. Not a single day goes by without it being a challenge, whether that’s juggling school/work and creative endeavors, struggling with constant self doubt and really sometimes just wanting to throw it in. But I just love doing it, y’know — What I’ve really learned is that success is what I make it. These days, if I feel good making what I make, I consider that a success.

Lately I’ve been pretty active with our band, The Neighborhood Kids. We played our first show in San Diego back in 2021. Since then, we’ve played local shows, in alleys, small festivals, toy drives, conferences — all kinds of random places. But after 2 years of performing live, we’ll be dropping our debut EP and we’re really excited for that.

Overall, I think some big challenges have been prioritizing what’s important as a modern musician, learning how to say no to things that aren’t worth it, learning to value what we do, and honing in on a musical identity.

Also, I’m pretty bad at releasing my solo work haha. Gotta work on that one.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If the homie comes to town, we’re probably off to the coast for a surf — maybe Encinitas or Torrey Pines adjacent — Maybe we’ll catch a show at The Observatory in North Park (favorite venue in town), grab some tacos from TJ Tacos in Escondido (best tacos in SD imo), and then we’re headed to Cleveland National Forest.

I know I’m missing a lot of the standard fare in SD, but personally I usually have the most fun with my friends just doing things outside.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shoutout my talented band mates and local artists Vernice Lopez (Verde) and Ruben Moreno (Amon the MC). They’ve provided a platform through our band (The Neighborhood Kids) that has allowed me to train my writing, performance, creative networking and overall creative visions in a really incredible way. Shoutouts also to the fellow bandmates Gatoz Locoz, DJ JG, Emmerson, and local producer Memo Gutierrez, as well as everybody else who has ever worked with us and supported us (you know who you are).

And of course, personal gratitude to my family in and out out of San Diego for keeping me in line and always providing spaces for me to explore my interests and focus on what matters.

Website: https://nikorosenberg.com/

Instagram: @niko.rosy

Other: @theneighborhoodkidsmusic

Image Credits
By Orens