Born and raised in New Zealand’s North Shore, Auckland, I grew up at the beach with a love for peaceful reflective spaces. Sifting my toes through the sand, listening to the birds, cicadas and crashing waves on the shoreline. The fresh salty air and the smell of summer bbq’s, fish and chips and sunscreen. Finding a space to empty my mind and watch people, imagining what stories they had to tell. I found inspiration in the simplicity of nature. This was the perfect balance after spending long hours in front of a computer manipulating midi and hours of wading through instrument patches and tinkering away on a Korg i3 and M1 in the early 90’s. I would spend Friday and Saturday nights watching movies with my parents who wouldn’t let me watch television or the radio – I lived for these moments! Film became part of my thought process and began to inspire me in new ways. The aim of composition and sound design is to connect with each project’s story to add depth and meaning with emotion. I find this form of artistic expression deeply satisfying and liberating. Weaving the textures of instruments into a world of experimental sound design to create moments of reflection and/or emotion to colour and enhance the viewer’s perspective of a story. I also thoroughly enjoy inspiring and motivating others to do the same through mentorship and running various classes and workshops on scoring and scene sonics. The Zeitgeist family are very dear to me, we share the same passion for people, connection, collaboration, art and story-telling. It is a film festival like no other – an unforgettable experience. You will discover new friends, understanding, and be truly inspired. This is one you won’t want to miss!