Unfortunately, internships and beginner-friendly entry level jobs in game audio are few and far between. So, it’s more important than ever before to generate our own experience. Whether it be through game jams, student work, or mini-projects that satiate your curiosity, all of those little bits of experience go a long way. The output doesn’t always need to be amazing, but the sheer fact that you’re doing something, *anything*, of your own accord is immediately impressive.

As we become more advanced in our skillset, we can also become more frustrated. The smallest things start to become tougher as we refine, hone in, and improve in the tiniest ways. And often, our attempts feel like they yield no results whatsoever. It feels like the total opposite of when we were a total beginner, where massive improvements were much easier to make. But that frustration is often a sign of learning and progress. Yes, a good teacher, system, or tutorial can get

Many moons ago after one of my classes at Berklee, I remember overhearing the always-wonderful Michael Sweet say something to another professor: "Anyone can be taught to be a good composer." Even though I was but a humble eavesdropper in that moment, that statement has stuck with me ever since, and I feel you can fill in the word "composer" with almost anything. While it often feels that meany of the skills we need to learn to become full-time creatives are mysterious and imp

Many of my online and 1-on-1 students have been asking: "What about AI? It can make music and sound, so there's no reason they would hire a person instead." I get where this worry is coming from: We're hearing constant fear-mongering about how the AI revolution is here, and how we just need to roll over and realize that our work is just going to be replaced. But, there is a skill that my fellow audio folks and freelancers can focus on that is irreplaceable, rare, and will be

I’m in the midst of running my cohort-based course for boosting the careers of those in game audio, and this week, we started to work on our positioning. We’re really starting to think more deeply on the sorts of problems that we audio folks are truly solving. Ultimately, we’re wondering: What are we helping with that goes beyond just “making good sound/music?” All too often, we think just because a developer or director says they need audio, that that’s the only issue we’re

My favorite time to set goals and think about the next year is October.

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I was recently talking to Aaron Cherof, a wonderful composer who very recently got his big breaks as a composer. Just last year, he...

A lot of creatives are taught a common myth: that if they just sit around and get good enough at their craft, everything else will take...

Many years ago, when I was a wee lad A drummer named Billy Ward came to my hometown to teach a masterclass. Part of his stay involved...

When I first moved to Seattle in 2012, I had a huge goal I wanted to accomplish: work on a game that gets released on Steam. Unlike...

Have you been in Game Audio Purgatory? I certainly have. You've know been there if you're in the place where you want more clients -...

Today, I'd like to introduce you to combat juggling—my latest obsession in the world of "insane sports Akash wants to become a world...

To start the new year off, let's indulge in a thought experiment: Imagine yourself casually sipping on straight, unadorned cow's milk...

Listen, I know we're all into cool gear, but I guarantee no one in game audio has a pair of these bad boys. Just some regular everyday...