Samuel Friend holds both a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Minor in Music Technology at UNLV, and a Bachelor of Science in Communications at Dixie State University. His multifaceted background has lead him to a number of roles in the music industry such as composing music for Cirque du Soleil, touring as a Front of House sound engineer, and working at the renowned Studio at the Palms. 

With drums and percussion being his primary focus during his schooling, Samuel studied classical percussion under Dean Gronemeier and Tim Jones and was awarded the “Outstanding Percussionist” Award in Fall 2016.

Operating as a sound engineer in both the studio and concert environments, Samuel has worked on many different productions with artists such as H.E.R, Lil Wayne, Megan the Stallion, Celine Dion, ASIA, Lou Gramm, Steve Augeri, Bill Champlain, and many others. In addition to his experience with musical acts, Samuel has also worked on a variety of commercial and media projects with work featured on the Super Bowl, and commercials for McDonalds, MGM, and Formula 1.

In Fall 2017 Samuel began his teaching career at UNLV. With a creative teaching style balancing the artistic, technical, and the human element of Music Production, Samuel teaches Recording Techniques 1 (MUS 231), Recording Techniques 2 (MUS 232), and Large Venue Sound Reproduction (MUS 435).