Today we’d like to introduce you to Malachi Gregory

Hi Malachi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

My story began at the age of eight, when I first started viola lessons. My choice of such an underrepresented instrument had no grand influence outside of my younger sister beginning violin lessons. I wanted to learn a string instrument as well, but chose, “the bigger one,” to avoid copying her directly. The more I practiced, I truly began to fall in love with my instrument. My parents were encouraging, enrolling me in extracurricular orchestral programs and summer camps before joining school ensembles. I developed an immense appreciation for classical and orchestral music through my participation, often memorizing my parts and adding my own alterations as I would see fit – sometimes to the dismay of my conductor.

In eighth grade, my teacher gave us a project to either learn another orchestral instrument or write something of our own in Garageband. I asked if it were possible to compose a score, and she showed me the software MuseScore. Brimming with excitement, I crafted my first ever piece for string orchestra, based off the ideas I would noodle on my instrument in class. I was hooked after placing my last note. I quickly wrote another string piece within the next 3 days, and the ball kept rolling from there. Composition became an avenue to express what excited me about music, and share my love with others. In high school I explored electronic production and ways I could mix it into my more traditional-styled writing.

It wasn’t until after my sophomore year in high school that I recognized how important music was to me, and how much importance it played into the things I loved. Video games were always a source of fun, socialization, and inspiration for me – but I never considered writing music for them could be a possibility. It wasn’t until I completed Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and the incredible genre-breadth of its soundtrack that I recognized the beautiful power of scoring to media. And recognized scoring was something everyone could do, including me. I was able to write some music for a friend’s game, which further inspired me to pursue this path.

After building up more of a portfolio, I enrolled in NYU’s Screen Scoring Music program where I had the opportunity to work on 7 independent game projects in my 4-year undergraduate education. Just recently graduating this May, I’m excited to continue down the path of game audio, and explore every avenue this career takes me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

I would definitely not say the road was smooth, I even wanted to quit music when starting high school! Burnout, creative frustration, and unexpected setbacks are inevitable, but are a part of the creative journey. It’s important to acknowledge the ebb and flow of inspiration, and not be too hard on yourself when things aren’t “flowing.” And every idea doesn’t have to be a winner! Sometimes intentionally working on an idea you may not be in love with and sticking with it leads to the next great breakthrough.

More often than not I’d find myself the only black composer in the room, and had a very hard time finding people who looked like me that did what I wanted to do. The imposter syndrome can kick in with increased anxieties over feeling the need to “prove yourself” in these spaces. It’s hard to internalize, but your presence already shows you’ve got what it takes to succeed, and will continue to do even greater things.

In terms of other personal setbacks, my high school graduation into first year at NYU was in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. From getting my diploma in a car line to online lessons and quarantine, my first year at university was anything but conventional. At first making new friends in a new city and finding opportunities was extremely hard. But over time, I was able to find collaborators, friends, and more opportunities to grow my skills.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I work as a composer and audio designer for games and multimedia. I say “audio” rather than directly “sound” designer because in the game audio space there are many roles like technical sound designer, music designer, and audio programmer that I may need to flex into depending on the scope of the project. In the past, I have needed to take entire responsibility of writing music and implementing it into the game, but this is not always the case. Nonetheless, I find developing skills in both worlds fulfilling and extremely beneficial as it can give you ideas when structuring your music composition for the implementation stage, and vice versa. Designing sound effects scratched a new itch for me when working in audio, asking how you can creatively character the image in a functional way. Both scoring and sound design are profound methods of storytelling that elevate the media they accompany, and my passion lies in finding creative ways to enhance the experience through sound.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

In terms of finding a mentor, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of mine through formal education. However, I know this is not accessible to all, and have found success through online communities. Joining groups like Airwiggles, “Wwise Wizards” on Facebook, or the “Teammates” discord channel is an easy and super effective way to get into contact with industry veterans. Everyone I’ve met in game audio has been extremely kind and supportive, and will give tons of helpful advice and feedback! In terms of networking, the best thing you can do is show up to events. Even if it’s online, your presence makes a mark and is memorable. Networking with game developers can be as easy as going to conventions or game showcases – I got my first gig meeting another volunteer at an indie event. My last bit of advice is to try out game jams. On the website Itch.io, a plethora of mini events are hosted to make a game in a shorter amount of time. The experience you gain from these excursions gives you pieces for your portfolio, and puts you in contact with more collaborators. Networking is far less about “expanding a web of connections,” and more building relationships with those around you!

Pricing:

• $200/min of music
• $150/min of sound design
• Setting rates is hard, but be sure not to undervalue the time and effort tht goes into your work! You may have to start with a smaller number, but as your skill evolves, your pricing should as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.malachigregory.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malakazam_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@malakazam