CURRENT PROJECTS
I am music directing for InnOVATION Arts Academy's production of "Junie B Jones, Jr." while coaching music for Adventure Theatre's Production of "Rock of Ages" -- all the while continuing to write music!
EVENTS AND MILESTONES
MAY 2025
LexPlay, a showcase of Kentucky-made video games, made for a fun afternoon! I got to play original games and learn about the inspiration for local developers and students alike. I was especially happy to see some worlds "colliding" between education and games. Board games and video games alike were featured, ranging from hack and slash games to puzzle games to cozy games. It was a really fun experience.
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I've learned a lot about the developer community in my hometown in such a short time, and I'm enjoying every bit of it!
This month, I was also incredibly excited to be to attend "The Stars of Innovation with Susan Calloway" hosted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (Boston Chapter). It was a wonderful experience to speak with and gain insights and advice from a wildly successful musician in the commercial music industry! I am so grateful to be in the room with such phenomenal talents (including the moderators), and I felt even more encouraged on this journey to making music for games.
A brief bio here:
Vocalist Susan Calloway has gained thousands of new fans for her vocal work for the bestselling video game franchise Final Fantasy. She was chosen by soundtrack composer Nobuo Uematsu to sing the original theme song “Answers” for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and the theme song “Dragonsong” for Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. Susan began her musical career as a singer-songwriter for the popular American band Red C, of which she was a founding member. After leaving Red C to focus her career as a solo artist, Susan released her first EP in 2010. Its title track, “Chasin’ the Sun,” climbed to number 38 national R&B charts. She is working on songs for a new album to be released later this year. The soulful power of her voice resonates with video gamers, musicians, and music fans around the world.
APRIL 2025
The Indie Den provided opportunities to attended live interviews with some big names in the industry, and I was excited to hop on to the twitch stream!
Jason Della Roca, a veteran in the industry, provided some great insights on game marketing, funding and the video game industry as a whole. As the co-founder of Executions Labs, he was a hands-on early stage investor to over 20 independent game studios from North America and Europe. In 2009, Jason was named to Game Developer Magazine’s “Power50,” a list which profiles 50 of the most important contributors to the state of the game industry. As a sought after expert on the game industry, Jason has lectured at conferences and universities worldwide. It was great to get a “big picture” and draw some parallels between development and composition.
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The following week, I got to watch Thomas Mahler on the live stream for an interview! Thomas is the developer behind the games Ori and the Blind Forest and No Rest for the Wicked. His first game, Ori and the Blind Forest, has sold over 15 million copies and is widely praised for its art and storytelling. It was a real treat to hear about his creative approach to design, the path that led him to where he is now, and advice for those who are creating now.
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It was a really cool month for learning about game development!
MARCH 2025
Had a blast getting to listen to other composers, musicians and people who just enjoy music coming together to create some awesome sounds at a music game jam hosted by Warp Zone in Louisville, KY! It was my first jam -- meeting other composers, listening to their music and exchanging ideas was a cool experience I won't soon forget. (I created an itch.io account for the first time because of this event!)
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Shout out to @louisvillemakesgames and Warp Zone Louisville for making all of this come together and being super welcoming and providing a cool space to work (and game!) You can check out all the cool submissions from other creators here: https://itch.io/jam/game-music-jam-2025/entries
NOVEMBER 2024
I had the privilege of working with Studio Players once again in Lexington, KY to arrange a 3 minute medley of popular Christmas carols in a play titled "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Them Some!)." ​
JULY 2024
I was hired by Studio Players in Lexington, KY to compose 80s/90s chiptune music and SFX for an original play titled "Moon Logic" in a 10-minute play festival. This was a blast to work on--I had the pleasure of connecting with David Lipschutz, the original playwright, who really enjoyed the tunes!
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You can learn more about David here: https://davidlipschutz.com/
APRIL 2024
My fourth collection of songs was an imagined story cycle that could form the backbone of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. This was a time where I really started to play with longer tunes and differences in style to tell a cohesive and comprehensive story. Most importantly, I was starting to get a better hang of mixing!
OCTOBER 2023
I was approached by a friend to write underscoring for recorded interviews with his business. Simple, straightforward and a nice break from what I usually write!
AUGUST 2023
My third collection of songs was a nod to characters I've played in D&D Campaigns. It was also the first time I got to commission a work for a D&D player!
MAY 2023
My second collection of songs is shorter, but where I started to gather the idea of pulling inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons. I decided to use the campaign I was playing in at the time as a template. I also wanted to collaborate with friends, so this is the first album where I collaborated with vocalists.
FEBRUARY 2023
This was my first collection of songs, and my biggest learning experience. At the time, I had access to Ableton Live Lite--so every song in the collection featured only 8 tracks/instruments. I keep this album online to remind myself of how much I've grown since this collection and remind others that we have to begin somewhere. They were the first songs that started me on this journey, and they'll always have a special place for me!