You’ve composed for a diverse range of media from trailers and ad campaigns to video games, films, television, and even concert works like your violin concerto “Awakening.” What draws you to explore such different formats, and in what ways does your creative process adapt to the unique demands of each?

Frankly, I’ve been quite lucky and am very grateful to have written for so many different formats. I am a very curious person and when different opportunities arise, I try to say yes even if it scares me. I haven’t nailed everything I’ve done, but I’ve learned so much from trying, and rejected demos have gone on to get me other projects down the line. 

I think my creative process doesn’t really change much across these different formats. When we’re writing music for anyone other than ourselves, the needs of that project dictate what we do. For me, that’s first finding the right musical direction and making sure I’m matching the brief or direction given to the best of my ability. Once a raw idea is down that I feel will serve the project, then I can worry about the technicalities needed to make it fit its intended niche.

Your music has been featured in some of the most high-profile trailers in recent years and has earned significant recognition, including two Golden Trailer Awards — Best Animation/Family TV Spot for Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns and Most Original Trailer for Apple TV’s Cherry — as well as a Gold Clio Award for Memory. How did you first become involved in composing for trailers, and how has that experience shaped the trajectory of your career?

I was really lucky; luck is such a huge factor in the entertainment industry that is so often overlooked. When I started in trailer music, I didn’t yet have the production skills that I‘ve since learned over time. I was first given the opportunity to co-write trailer tracks based solely on the potential heard in my music and I’m very grateful for it. 

Trailer music itself has been a double-edged sword for me. There are those out there who believe that anyone who writes commercial music or music for marketing purposes can’t possibly have the skills to write for film scores, TV projects, or games. I’ve personally faced this where my production skills have been praised but my abilities to write to picture are questioned, then never given a chance. 

I think this is a basic flaw in humanity that we like to look down on others to feel better about ourselves. Classical composers look down on media composers. Media composers look down on those who write for trailers, ads or sync. It’s all ridiculous and simply an exercise in self-importance.

However, I’m also very grateful to trailer music. Trailer music taught me the importance of music production, something that I was unprepared for and unfamiliar with due to my classical background. Realistic mockups and great production are everything as a media composer. The mixing and production skills I’ve learned have taken me a long way in my subsequent career, but music production is an unending journey. There’s always more to learn! 

You’ve evolved from classical orchestral writing into hybrid and electronic styles, crafting a distinct sound that bridges both worlds. What’s that journey been like and how has your classical training influenced your approach to modern, hybrid scoring?

Honestly, my composition and music journey has been mostly about learning to let go. I was the student who had to get perfect grades. I was terrified of being wrong or not living up to what was expected of me.

I was studying classical voice in college, but halfway through my degree, I had a serious emotional breakdown. That was the first time in my life that I let myself actually improvise on the piano, just channeling my emotions. That improvisation went on to become a piece performed by the local symphony and made me realize that I wanted to write music for my career. Prior to that transformational experience, I had never even remotely considered composition as a path open to me despite my love affair with film and game music.

I went on to a Master’s in composition then studied film scoring because I wanted to feel like I knew what I was doing. And that was great for giving me confidence and practice and all the music theory I could need, but so little of the music needed for media today is purely orchestral, let alone follows the “rules” of music theory. 

I had to again learn to let go of rules when writing in hybrid or fully electronic styles. When I’m working with synths, or doing strange things with sound design, I’m largely relying on my gut to tell me if something works. For me, it’s really been about learning to trust my own creativity. 

You’re currently composing for the upcoming video game Ground Zero, set for release in 2026. When writing for games, how do you balance inspiration from the visuals and narrative with the interactive nature of gameplay? Could you share how closely you collaborate with the game’s development team during the creative process?

Collaborating with the development team, and talking frequently is everything! When I’m drafting themes or musical ideas, I’m definitely doing so based on ingested gameplay, art or narrative. But game music isn’t static. I absolutely love thinking about music systems, from the big picture of what we’re aiming to accomplish to the small technical details needed to make it happen. 

Conversations with the dev team are crucial to make sure that music is supporting gameplay and in making informed choices about the interactivity needed on any given track. Sometimes that’s predetermined by a gameplay mechanic, the nature of the level design or even specific references given, but as good collaborators we often get to bring those creative options to the table. 

A lot of thorough discussion with the developers is needed to make the important decisions about the role of music in a level or area, the amount of interactivity needed, the musical style, what might be musically adjacent, etc. We really need to understand the game itself really well to be great collaborators and that only happens through active curiosity, questions, and a lot of talk.

Your portfolio showcases an extraordinary range of musical styles—from sweeping orchestral scores to contemporary hybrid and electronic soundscapes. Looking ahead, is there a particular project or collaboration that would represent your “dream” opportunity—something that would allow you to explore new creative territory or fulfill a personal artistic goal?

In the past couple of years, I feel my style has been evolving to be a lot more comfortable with sound design, textures, and experimentation. I’ve learned I really enjoy getting to be a bit more experimental and unusual both with the sound palette and in compositions themselves which is why I’m quite excited to eventually share some of the weird stuff I’ve done for Ground Zero. There are some tracks that are absolutely wild, and others that to me are like the audio equivalent of a weighted blanket.

I still very much enjoy writing tonal, melodic music, but I find myself increasingly drawn to projects that encourage a more unique approach to the musical direction. 

Interview by Amanda Cawley

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