I have two great loves in life: music and language.

My journey with music began more than 20 years ago, sitting in front of a bulky CRT TV playing Nintendo games with my brother and friends. Those moments left a lasting impression, not just because of the fun we had, but because of the music. Video game soundtracks had this incredible ability to make worlds feel alive, to turn a simple puzzle or boss fight into something unforgettable. That magic stuck with me, and it’s what inspired me to start composing. I can even remember the exact moment when I first became aware of music: it was when I was playing a water level in Kirby Dreamland 3 in my parents’ bedroom.

But there was another experience that shaped me just as much. At my Grandma and Grandpa’s house, one of the highlights (besides the amazing food and being with my wonderful grandparents) was playing their Sega Genesis. I’m pretty sure they bought it to keep the grandkids entertained, but there was one problem: the console had no audio. For years, my brother and I played Sonic 2 in a strange, brotherly silence. Looking back, it feels fitting. In a way, I think that silence made me even more aware of how much music is the soul in games. 

Today, my work still carries the unmistakable spirit of those early influences. I draw from favorites like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Kirby Dreamland 3, Risk of Rain, Mario RPG, Undertale, Tetris Attack, Octopath Traveler, Banjo-Kazooie, and Paper Mario. I love composing for RPGs, platformers, and puzzle games, genres that invite imagination, experimentation, and emotion. Sometimes that means bending expectations with unusual harmonies or instrument choices. Other times, it’s about crafting a melody so simple and catchy that it stays with you long after you’ve put the controller down. My goal is always the same: to create music that feels like part of the world players are stepping into, something they can hum, remember, and connect with.

But just as much as I love music, I’ve always been drawn to language. As a kid, I invented secret codes to pass notes in class. As an adult, that spark grew into a lifelong pursuit. I’ve studied nine languages and become proficient in three Chinese languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, and Chibihua [my wife’s hometown language]). I even studied for my Master’s in Modern Chinese Literature while living in Xiamen, China, where I explored existentialist themes in Liu Cixin’s (the guy that wrote The Three-Body Problem) sci-fi novels. Other languages I’ve studied include French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Swedish, German, Taiwanese, and Thai. Traveling, learning, and speaking with people in their mother tongues continues to inspire me musically, it gives me new sounds, rhythms, and perspectives to weave into my work.

I’m also growing as a producer and project leader, developing skills in project management and interactive audio design (like Wwise) so that I can not only compose but also help guide creative teams in the future. Along the way, I’ve dabbled in pixel art, animation, and coding to better understand the bigger picture of game development, but composing will always be my home base.

At my core, I believe life is about keeping the mind, body, and spirit alive with creativity and connection. I want to spend my time doing what I love, collaborating with people who inspire me, and finding joy in every step of the process. Money may be a tool, but fulfillment comes from the journey itself, whether that’s through music, language, or the stories we share through games.