I began classical piano lessons at around age 9, and at age 14 after hearing Metallica for the first time I convinced my dad to get me an electric guitar for my birthday. After that I was hooked. I jammed along to Metallica, AC/DC, and Guns N Roses record for several years before attempting to write my own songs and recruit some fellow classmates to start a band. I ended up playing originals in local bands all throughout high school.
At some point I realized I was serious about music not just as a hobby but as a career as well. I subsequently applied and got into Berklee College of Music. Once there I became fascinated with electronic music, and the music technology used to create it.
I got into artists like Boards of Canada and Bonobo, and soon started making my own tunes with the software we were given for school. I eventually got into Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design program, and proceeded to get schooled in the ways of audio engineering, sound design, and electronic composition. Since then, I’ve continued to compose and produce electronic music in a number of different genres, and am currently doing so under the name Smigonaut. Somewhere in between, I spent a few months interning at Bear Creek Studio out in my home state of Washington, where artists like Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and the Lumineers have passed through to make records.
Eventually, I graduated from Berklee and spent my time out of school doing various freelance gigs, which included composing/sound FX for several indie films, as well as helping to create some jingles for TV ads. Several months later, I landed here at Cakewalk as a Product Support Representative. I have been here for just about a year, and it has certainly been one of the most educational and gratifying experiences of my career.
Favorite Movie: Taxi Driver
Years @ Cakewalk: Just under a year
Instrument: Guitar, Bass, Piano, Vocals
Preferred Style of Music: Alternative, Rock, Electronic
Superpower (if you could have one): Flying
Favorite Bands: Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Tipper
