Eric Leavell
Audio Engineer, QA Engineer, and Mixologist
About Eric
Drawing on lifelong passions for music, technology, and hospitality, I’ve built a unique skill set across three different but surprisingly connected fields: audio engineering, quality assurance, and mixology.
Music and Audio Engineering
Since 2009, I’ve worked on over 50 recording projects. I started in a traditional commercial studio environment, learning from a wide range of mentors while working with artists like The Mountain Goats and St. Vincent. Along the way I picked up hands-on skills in maintaining and repairing classic gear like Neve & API consoles and Studer tape machines.
After moving to Portland, I began building my own portfolio out of a home studio. Today I play bass in the local band Caicedo, and act as the band’s producer when we record. Beyond music, I’ve also produced commercial and political ads for both streaming services and terrestrial radio.
Quality Assurance
As a lifelong gamer and tech enthusiast, I landed the chance to work with Microsoft on the Halo franchise in the 2010s. I started as the Audio Area Owner on Halo: Anniversary and eventually stepped into a management role on Halo: The Master Chief Collection. My work became important enough that I was sent to St. Petersburg, Russia, to collaborate directly with the outsourced development team during the final crunch.
After 5 years, I moved into a QA Engineer role at Portland-based Eleven Wireless. There, I focused on using automation to streamline testing for large releases—often working as the sole QA on a project. I also served as SCRUM Master, leading sprint planning and helping the team stay focused on triaging workloads.
Mixology/Hospitality
What began as a hobby, grew into a ten-year career in hospitality. Over the years I’ve taken on roles as a bartender, FOH lead, and bar manager, building original cocktail menus for everything from weddings to nonprofit fundraisers to brand activations.
In 2024, I launched La Petit Mort Cocktails, an event-focused cocktail brand built around storytelling and cocktail history. Whether it’s designing a seasonal menu, hosting a pop-up, or curating cocktails for a wedding, I’ve always seen mixology as a way to bring people together.