Music Portfolio

Music is not just a hobby. It is the first language of my imagination. From piano to euphonium, from ensemble player to self-taught composer.

My Musical Journey — From Piano to Euphonium

Overview


I love music — perhaps because I started learning piano in elementary school, spent nine years playing the euphonium in my school's Golden Sail Wind Ensemble from elementary through middle school, and taught myself to compose music for my video games in middle school. Music is to me like water is to a fish; it always pops into my head before words do.

This portfolio documents my musical journey across instruments, ensembles, and original compositions. It is an ongoing collection that will grow with new works, recordings, and creative experiments.

My Musical Journey


Piano Beginnings. My musical education began with piano in elementary school. The discipline of scales, the expressiveness of dynamics, and the architecture of classical pieces laid the foundation for how I think about structure — whether in music, code, or game design.

Euphonium & Ensemble. For nine years, I was a member of the Golden Sail Wind Ensemble, playing the euphonium from elementary school through middle school. The experience of blending my voice into a larger harmonic whole taught me about collaboration, listening, and the power of collective expression. Performing in uniform, marching in formation, and contributing to the deep resonance of a brass section shaped my understanding of discipline and teamwork.

Self-Taught Composition. In middle school, I began teaching myself to compose music for my video games. Without formal training in composition, I relied on ear, intuition, and the structural patterns I had absorbed from years of playing. This self-directed approach mirrors how I learn technology — by doing, by experimenting, by building things that need to exist.

Piano Euphonium Wind Ensemble Self-Taught

Instrumentation

GarageBand (macOS)

Primary Instruments:

  • Piano — Studied from elementary school; foundational training in classical repertoire, theory, and technique.
  • Euphonium — Nine years in school wind ensemble; brass section performer in marching and concert settings.

Software & Tools:

  • GarageBand (macOS) — primary DAW for composition, arrangement, and production
  • Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) for composition and arrangement
  • Notation software for scoring and sheet music production
  • Virtual instruments and synthesizers for game audio

Works & Compositions

This section will be updated with original compositions, recordings, and audiovisual works as they are produced and collected.

Piano Improvisation

An unrehearsed piano improvisation — exploring melody and harmony in the moment, without a score, without a plan.

Original Composition × The Hobbit Animation

An original composition paired with animated footage from The Hobbit — exploring how music and moving image can breathe together, each amplifying the emotional arc of the other.

  • Original game soundtracks composed for personal and collaborative projects
  • Video recordings of ensemble performances and solo repertoire
  • Animated music videos combining original compositions with visual art
  • Software-generated music experiments exploring procedural audio

Reflection

Music is the thread that connects everything I create. When I write code, I think about rhythm and structure. When I design games, I think about pacing and emotional arcs. When I build art installations, I consider how light and sound move through space like melody and harmony.

The nine years I spent in the wind ensemble taught me that individual excellence means nothing without the ability to listen to others. The euphonium is not a solo instrument — it thrives in the spaces between other voices, supporting the melody, anchoring the harmony. This is how I try to approach every collaborative project: not as the lead voice, but as the foundation that makes the whole ensemble sound better.

Teaching myself to compose in middle school was an act of necessity. My games needed sound, and I could not afford to hire composers. So I became one. This pattern — identifying a gap in what a project needs, then learning the skill to fill it — has become the defining feature of how I work. Music was the first domain where I experienced this, and it set the template for everything that followed.

THE SHIFT What music taught me about working with others — and about learning. BEFORE · SOLOIST MINDSET Be the best player and stand out. Individual Excellence · Lead Voice · Stand Out AFTER · ENSEMBLE MINDSET Listen first, support the whole. Be the foundation, not the lead voice. Euphonium · Nine Years · Support · Anchor