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ARTIST'S STATEMENT

In the decade since I first entered the world of music composition, I never once drew attached to one particular genre. Rather, I embraced all of them, arriving at where I am (and continually aim to be) today - a pluralistic composer.

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My recent contemporary work has explored:

  • Post-modernist studies in tonal hierarchy and audience recognition

    • The Point of Recognition I, II & III (2017)

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  • Acoustic chamber pieces built from the migratory paths and vocalizations of animals with reference to the biomusic of Alan Hovhaness and George Crumb

    • The Blue Whale (2017)

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  • A symphonic interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic text

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  • A minimalist study in microtonality inspired by Steve Reich’s "Piano Phase" (1967)

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  • A pastiche of Baroque fugue drawing closely on the works of J.S.Bach and the rules of Fuxian Counterpoint

    • String Fugue in G Minor (2017)

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Additional explorations involving the fusion with another practice – that of sound design – include:

  • A post-modernist musical theatre work influenced by the works of Stephen Sondheim

    • ​Aria: "PROLOGUE" (2017) & "The Strings Have Been Pulled" (2019)

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  • An addition to a modal-based suite for two pianos

    • ​A Day in the Life of a Mode, "Wednesday" (2018)

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I have also endeavoured to collaborate with other creative artists and practitioners, working with:

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  • The choir of All Saints, Witley, for which numerous anthems were written and premiered:

    • Angels We Have Heard On High (2017)

    • Sleep, Thou Little Child (2019)

    • O, Holy Night (2022), with soloists Isadora Dyer & James Parker

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  • The ensemble, Trifarious, for an award-winning work

    • The Arctic Tern (2017) 

      • ​Winner of the 2017 David Lovatt composition prize

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  • The London Video Game Orchestra (2021 - present) as arranger and engraver

    • Gaur Plain from Xenoblade Chronicles (2021) (Arranger & Engraver)

    • The Champion Mipha from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2023) (Arranger & Engraver)

    • Vale from Golden Sun (2024) (Arranger & Engraver)

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In 2019, I began honing my craft at video game music, starting with the free music library, RPG Orchestral Essentials, followed by several original soundtracks for indie games, including:

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In this pluralistic age, I strive to be a pluralistic composer, ready to adapt to any project and intent on learning everything the world of sound has to offer, and what I can offer it.

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Last Updated: 21st April 2024

ABOUT ME (b.1995)

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During 2009, a performance of J.S.Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" awoke my desire for music, and ever since then I have been fuelled with motivation to pursue it.

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This newfound curiosity urged me to push my abilities at playing the piano, leading to a quick achievement by winning a 'Young Musician of the Year' award twice during 2011 and 2012 in my final years of secondary school (aged 15 & 16).

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While music performance was where my interest began, composition soon began to intrigue me. After writing two little works as part of the school's curriculum, I started to venture further in 2012 and started teaching myself composition by studying composers of the past; from the Baroque fugues of Bach to the 20th Century orchestral music of Stravinsky.

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After my interest in composition became more prevalent, I looked for further opportunities to expand, and in 2013 I applied to the National Youth Orchestra to be a composer - of which I was fortunate enough to be granted an interview.

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In 2014, I started a BMus in Music at the University of Surrey. During my time here, I discovered a further interest into the world of sound design, and it has since become my 2nd profession. This prompted me to begin recording and designing sounds myself and contributing to the website Freesound.org in 2015, of which my sounds have since garnered over 5+ million downloads and have been used in 1,000s of projects worldwide. I later joined the Freesound moderation team in May 2017 to give something back to the site where I took my first steps into sound design, and started creating professional sound libraries in 2017.

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After finishing my undergraduate at the University and winning the David Lovatt composition prize in 2017, I was motivated to start working on this website to begin sharing my work with the world, as well as entering various competitions. This led to my composer-fellowship with the 2018 Banaue International Music Composition Competition to assist in the restoration efforts of the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Banaue Rice Terraces.

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In 2018, I achieved an MMus (Composition) with Distinction at the University of Surrey, and began working in video game development in 2019, also volunteering for the Virtual Video Game Orchestra & London Video Game Orchestra, as well as running my own YouTube channel, TandA.

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