Composer & Orchestrator for Games, Film and Ensembles

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My Macbook, its a workhorse and a powerhouse. My external SSD full of sample libraries. My Kontakt keyboard. I'm counting my monitors and headphones as one. Coffee machine.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I’ve been composing professionally since 2019 and have written music for more than 30 indie games, alongside work for animation, documentaries and trailers. I completed an MFA in Professional Composition through ThinkSpace Education and have pursued further orchestration training with Norman Ludwin and Michael Worth. I have been teaching Music, Music Technology, and Musical Theatre at one of the UK's leading performing arts colleges with many of my students going on to work as professional musicians or pursue careers in the musical industry.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I’m especially interested in collaborating with game and screen creators building distinctive worlds, where music can develop alongside the story or gameplay. I enjoy being involved early enough to help shape the project’s musical language, and I love working with directors who are building fantastical worlds. Find me my Spielberg or Miyazaki!

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: My work ranges from cinematic and orchestral styles to popular styles like rock, jazz, J-pop, electronica, chiptune, and more. I particularly like writing for action and adventure, fantasy, simulation/puzzle, and sci-fi games.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a clear musical identity, memorable themes and a strong emotional arc, with the arrangement shaped around the project - whether that means a film scene, a small ensemble or an adaptive game score.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by understanding the brief, references, story or gameplay, and required deliverables. Then I shape the musical direction, share sketches or mock-ups for feedback, and develop the approved ideas into finished music. For live recording I prepare the score and parts; for games I can build and test the music in Wwise and FMOD.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My setup includes Logic Pro X and Sibelius Ultimate for composition, Pro Tools for recording, and Kontakt, Wwise, and FMOD for adaptive video game scoring. I have access to an industry standard recording studio with tight links to Birmingham Conservatoire for incredible session musicians. I use that toolkit to move from sketches and mock-ups through score preparation, recording, and, for games, interactive implementation.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: One piece I’m proud of is my adaptive FPS music demonstration in Wwise and Unity. I composed layered music for exploration, tension and combat, then showed how the score can respond to gameplay. It brings together two parts of my work I value: musical storytelling and designing how music behaves in a playable world.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m focused on composing for games and screen, developing interactive scores, and preparing music for live performance. I’m also open to new composition and orchestration briefs, from small ensembles through full orchestra.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I don’t have a particular SoundBetter provider to recommend at the moment. When a project needs a specialist beyond my own scope, I’d look for someone whose portfolio and credits closely match the brief.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital tools make it easy to sketch, revise and implement interactive music. I also keep orchestration grounded in the needs of real performers, with clear and playable parts for live recording.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I’ll listen carefully to the brief, keep communication clear and shape the music and deliverables around the agreed scope and timeline. If a question or change comes up, I’ll raise it early.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I enjoy creating a musical world that feels connected to the story and player experience, then taking it from an early sketch to a finished score or working interactive system.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Can you make the music react to the player's actions? Yes - music design is all about designing the music around the game, or designing the game around the music if you're brave. Can you find live players? Yes - I have a wealth of incredible orchestral and contemporary musicians available and have worked with many session musicians around the west midlands.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: Game music doesn’t have to be a loop playing underneath the action. It can respond to what the player is doing while carrying the musical story across different states, so composition and system design often work best together.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What should the music make the audience or player feel? What references and existing assets should I work from? What are the schedule and deliverables? For games, I’ll also ask about gameplay states, engine and integration needs; for live orchestration, the ensemble and recording date.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Bring a clear brief, a few references and the delivery requirements. For games, share the gameplay states, platform and integration scope. For orchestration, share the ensemble, duration, notation needs and recording deadline. I can help turn that information into a practical scope and milestones.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Cinematic and story-led, with memorable themes and a strong sense of atmosphere. Depending on the project, the palette can range from chamber intimacy to full orchestra or a hybrid, interactive score.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: For adaptive game music, decide what each gameplay state should make the player feel before building layers. Giving exploration, tension and combat clear musical roles helps the score respond naturally and keeps transitions coherent.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is connecting orchestral storytelling with practical delivery: composing the music, shaping it for the ensemble or medium, and preparing clear scores, parts or interactive implementation as needed.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: My development as an orchestrator has been shaped by training with Norman Ludwin and Michael Worth. I’m drawn to music that pairs strong emotional storytelling with thoughtful orchestral colour and clear, playable writing.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Most often, I compose original music for indie games, creating themes and atmosphere and, when the project calls for it, adaptive layers that respond to play. I also score film and animation, and orchestrate for chamber ensembles through full orchestra.