Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524863
42 M PS E . O R G After high school, I enrolled at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) as a music performance major without an end goal in mind. In my third year of college, I inadvertently became the music lead for CSULB's new Game Developers Club, as a friend of mine had a scheduling conflict and had transferred all his leadership responsibilities to me. On my first day, I had no idea what I was doing in this club full of bright and passionate young developers. To make things better (or worse), the club had done a big marketing push and managed to get about 15 audio members, all expecting to gain experience making music and sound effects. For me, this trial by fire was the best career training I could have possibly enrolled in. I dove into books, forums, and leveraged every knowledgeable resource I could find. I started auditing classes at other universities with more developed game programs, and interned as a dialogue editor at Headgum, an internet comedy network. I shared my experiences and exchanged ideas with my game audio friends in the club, and we started putting out solid projects one after the other. After a few years, we all had reasonable portfolios; and after three unsuccessful applications, I landed an interview with PlayStation Studios. I started as a music editing intern but following a promotion, I transitioned to the sound design team in a lateral move. Do you often come across others in your field with a musical background? I think it is more rare to find someone in this field who doesn't have a musical background. However, those who don't, typically have a deep appreciation for music and/or a strong technical background. I seem to remember you taking part in various MPSE events, while still in school and using those opportunities to cultivate your network. What role did being a student member of the MPSE play in the development of your career? As a student in LA County, the MPSE experience was an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the action, surround myself with a plethora of seasoned professionals, and explore the Sony Pictures Lot in Culver City. For someone who had only stumbled into post-production, it felt like a fever dream. The MPSE's panels, Q&As, demonstrations, and showcases definitely made this crazy career path feel possible. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of awesome people, try a lot of bleeding-edge tools, and learn about the craft from industry legends. MPSE was also awesome at just keeping members in the loop of other events in LA and continues to be an invaluable educational and networking resource. Missing the MPSE events is almost enough to make me want to move back to Los Angeles, ha ha. You started out at Sony PlayStation as a music editor with your first projects being MediEvil and MLB: The Show 20. What was it like