Reflecting on 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, I’m filled with gratitude and reflection on an incredible year. With both of my wife's parents in hospice at the beginning of the year and with the loss of her mom and others in our family, it's also been a challenging year. Even with all the challenges, I'm focusing on the positive aspects of family, friends, music colleagues, and uplifting others. This year has been one of the most challenging years, but it also brought so many moments of growth, collaboration, and joy, and I’m thrilled to share some highlights with you all.?

The year started with a bang as the Star Wars animation?Clone Wars: Battle of the Heroes by HELLO THERE Studios?went viral on YouTube. Watching it soar past 4.3 million views over the year was beyond surreal. This was a goal as long as I can remember. Seeing my name in blue Star Wars font at the end was surreal. Also, the response from Star Wars fans worldwide was nothing short of amazing. Thank you for all the support. Additionally, the teams that worked on this film are full of incredibly talented and amazing people, and I appreciate everyone's dedication and friendship! I look forward to joining forces for the next project - which is already in the works!?

I had the honor of scoring the powerful short film Nobody Wins by Josh Duhon and @Gabriel Cruz of Archetype Cinema LLC . It was a deeply moving project, and I’m proud to have contributed to its storytelling. By the end of the film, everyone was in tears.

This year also saw the completion of multiple album projects, some of which include?Iron & Fire album with 10 WEST MUSIC , Wild Heart with Kevin Gordon and Jack Green and Amadea Music Productions , and The Edge of Reality with Malcolm P. and contributing to a cinematic orchestra album with Oh I Like That Production Music . Each of these projects pushed me creatively, and I'm honored to collaborate with everyone.?

On the personal front, one of my greatest joys has been watching my son grow and develop his skills as a viola performer in his school’s orchestra and his dedication to growing with basketball. Seeing his dedication and love for music reminds me of where it all started for me.?

Professionally, 2024 was marked by milestones and opportunities. In March, I was invited to be on the composer and producer panel at SyncSpotlight, Atlanta's largest sync licensing event. Sharing my journey and insights with others in the industry was an incredible experience. I love sharing and teaching others how to get started with sync licensing, Creating music, orchestration, finding the right publisher/music production company, music production, and the business side of music. Thank you to Mathew Steele and Level Up Music Productions, Corp for hosting an incredible event!

Another unexpected opportunity came in the summer. I had the privilege of assisting a fellow Sync Titan on where to shop their album idea and with some of the mixes. This was not my time to shine; it was theirs, and to see their success was incredibly rewarding. Not only did their album get accepted by the publisher, but their music was placed multiple times in just a few months! Wow, so exciting!?

Collaboration was a theme throughout the year. I’m deeply grateful for the talented artists, producers, and directors I worked with. Together, we created music that spoke to audiences in unique ways. A special shoutout to Brianna Shelko for her brilliant work on?Unstoppable, which earned two nominations at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards and one at the AAA Music Awards.

2024 also brought radio features for multiple tracks and placements that started the year strong. Thank you to Alexa Ray for her brilliant work on "Into the Unknown" and the behind-the-scenes for promoting our track! Also, thank you to 105.9 FM The Region for the airtime! Thank you to my publishers, music supervisors, collaborators, and directors who worked tirelessly to make these moments possible.

This year also included film festivals. We had a blast at the screening for the award-winning film Consequences, in which I had the honor of creating the score. Creating leitmotifs and weaving them into the score was challenging and fun. Not only did ANNETTE WILSON win multiple awards for the film, but she also found distribution on Amazon Prime. Annette's vision for the film was extraordinary, and it was deeply fulfilling to see how the music and visual storytelling complemented each other to create such a profound impact.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, and this year, Malcolm P. and I teamed up again, and we dipped into holiday vibes by creating epic Christmas music that blended classical orchestra with hip-hop and trap drums of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Deck The Halls. Stepping into new musical territories was both a challenge, fun and rewarding.

Finally, the year ended on a perfect note with a family trip to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Sharing laughter and creating memories with family was a favorite of the year. It makes it all worthwhile to be able to spend time with family. It was so much fun that we had trouble saying goodbye. We'll definitely be back. This year, Universal will be opening some new attractions that are a must-see!

To everyone who supported me this year—from family and friends to collaborators and fans—thank you from the bottom of my heart. I couldn't have done all of this without you! Your encouragement fuels my passion, and I can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store.

????????

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, productive, and creative New Year!