I'm a composer, a geek, a gamer, and perfectionist (my best and worst quality). I've been writing music in some form or another for almost as long as I can remember, but I started taking it more seriously in 1997 when I was first introduced to MIDI. Since then, composing has been my main passion in life. I've also loved video games since the NES era, and I still spend a good chunk of my spare time playing both classic and modern games. When I'm not writing music or gaming, I'm usually geeking out on IRC, drawing silly things in MS Paint, or occasionally engaging in activities that don't involve staring at a screen.

I was born in Vancouver, BC, and lived most of my life in the surrounding suburbs. In 2007, I made a big move to Madison, Wisconsin (USA) to get married and live with my husband (who also makes music!). We got a little house in the middle of nowhere where it's nice and quiet and turned the living room into a small studio. Together, we hope to continue expanding our studio - and with it, our musical talents, knowledge, and creativity.

My music is largely inspired by my favourite video game soundtracks of the past - particularly those from the SNES era. As a kid, I fell in love with the beautiful soundtracks of games like Donkey Kong Country, Chrono Trigger,and Final Fantasy 2 & 3 US. When I write my own music, I always try to capture the qualities that made those soundtracks so magical and memorable.

I have a few very general philosophies I like to follow when I write music: I don't write anything down unless I think there's something about it that the listener will enjoy, I don't repeat anything unless I feel there's a reason for it to be repeated, and I always try to surprise the listener with things they didn't see coming. But most of all, I just like to have fun and write music that I really enjoy myself. It makes me really happy that so many other people happen to enjoy it too!

What audio software do you use?

I use Cakewalk Pro Audio 8 for MIDI-only stuff, Sonar 7 Producer Edition for full production audio, and Audacity for various odds and ends. I also enjoy messing around in FamiTracker every now and then.

How about your hardware?

I have two computers: One with an Echo AudioFire 8 professional soundcard and a Roland SC-8820 hardware synth hooked up, and another with a cheesy SoundBlaster card, since I actually like its soundfont support. I also have an Edirol PC-70 MIDI keyboard controller, Sony MDR-7506 headphones, various microphones, and a Zoom H4 portable recorder for sound effects and field recordings.

How did you learn how to compose? Do you have any formal music training?

A little bit, but I learned most of it on my own through trial and error. The basic music theory I learned during piano lessons when I was a kid actually ended up being the most important thing I was taught. I also studied audio production at the Art Institute of Vancouver-Burnaby for a year. At that point, I'd already been writing music in MIDI for a long time, but I did learn some neat things like how to properly record live instruments, control gigantic mixing consoles, and create my own sound effects from scratch.