Sound Business with Akash Thakkar Akash Thakkar

#69: Today's guest is Aaron Cherof, a composer based in Seattle. He has been composing for indie games for well over a decade and has most recently worked on two games that have become huge hits, such as Cobalt Core and Minecraft. 
 
In this episode, we talk about how Aaron has spent 15 years as a composer before he was able to go full-time. We also talk about the importance of creating work, even when you're not getting hired to work on projects, how to find your own musical voice as a composer, and so much more. 
 
Find Aaron Cherof here:
Website: https://www.cherof.com/
Bandcamp: https://cherof.bandcamp.com/album/cobalt-core-original-soundtrack
 
And if you're interested in making music and sound for games, I have a newsletter and free courses that will get you started, and help you find paying work in games. Just go to http://www.bit.ly/soundbizpod

#68: Today's guest is Zach Heyde, a composer based out of Los Angeles. He has worked on a ton of different projects with clients like Disney, Dreamworks, Roblox, and many others. He also runs an online course called "The Composing Career Bootcamp" where he teaches composers how to build a full-time career. 
 
In this episode, Zach and I talk about the importance of being uncomfortable, the types of opportunities there are in the world of composition, how to start networking as an introvert, success as a content creator on YouTube, and so much more. 
 
Find Zach Heyde here:
Composing Career Bootcamp: https://www.zachheyde.com/composing-career-bootcamp
Website: https://www.zachheyde.com/ 
 
And if you're interested in making music and sound for games, I have a newsletter and free courses that will get you started, and help you find paying work in games. Just go to http://www.bit.ly/soundbizpod

#67: Today's guest is Kian How, a composer, sound designer, and music performer based out of Shanghai, China. Kian has worked on a ton of different projects, such as games like Spec Ops The Line, Dishonored, and Marvel: Heroes Unite. He has also worked with clients such as Huawei and is also a player of the Egyptian oud, which is similar to a lute. 
 
In this episode, we talk about Kian's start in Boston and how he ended up moving to China after college, the truth of what a sound designer does in their job, the importance of learning new skills for fun, and so much more. 
 
Find Kian here:
Website: https://www.kianhow.com/
 
And if you're interested in making music and sound for games, I have a newsletter and free courses that will get you started, and help you find paying work in games. Just go to http://www.bit.ly/soundbizpod

#66: Today's guest is James Landino, a composer and DJ based out of Tokyo, Japan. He has worked on a variety of projects including Battlegrounds Mobile, No Straight Roads, Tower of God, Roblox, and many, many others. 
 
In this episode, we talk about how James developed his iconic electronic music style, what upcoming composers can do to stand out in a saturated industry, what's next for James now that he's been composing for 20 years, and so much more.  
 
Find James Landino here:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jameslandino 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6xMMOflXnoIA3grU3seMjh 
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/JamesLandino 
 
And if you're interested in making music and sound for games, I have a newsletter and free courses that will get you started, and help you find paying work in games. Just go to http://www.bit.ly/soundbizpod

#65: Today's guest is Jett Galindo, a mixing and mastering engineer and soprano singer based in Los Angeles. She has worked on countless high-profile projects such as the soundtracks for La La Land, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, and has worked with artists such as Pink Floyd, Towa Bird, and countless others.
In this episode, we talk about Jett's journey from the Philippines to the U.S., how she got into music mastering in the first place, how she faced overt sexism in the industry she wanted to be a part of, and so much more. 
 
Find Jett Galindo here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jettgalindo/?hl=en 
 
Find The Bakery here:
Spotify: https://www.instagram.com/bakerymastering/?hl=en
Website: https://thebakery.la/ 
 
And if you're interested in making music and sound for games, I have a newsletter and free courses that will get you started, and help you find paying work in games. Just go to http://www.bit.ly/soundbizpod

#64: Today's guest is Bastian Gerner, a Foley artist based out of Düsseldorf, Germany. He has worked in the film and game industries as a Foley artist for decades and, most recently, worked as a full-time senior Foley artist for Ubisoft. Nowadays, on top of his freelancing business, he also coaches up and coming sound designers on breaking into the film and game industry, as well as how to record high quality using a home setup. 
 
In this episode, we talk about Bastian's career and how he started with Foley in the first place, how he teaches sound designers the skills they need to succeed, why he decided to freelance instead of being a full-time employee forever, and so much more. 
 
Find Bastian Gerner here:
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5588918/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_foley_teacher/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCES-9zV4CV9_BIGrqczAwLA
 
And if you're interested in making music and sound for games, I have a newsletter and free courses that will get you started, and help you find paying work in games. Just go to http://www.bit.ly/soundbizpod