We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nozomi Lyn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nozomi, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The day that my dad got me my first acoustic guitar on my 14th birthday in 2014 was the moment I knew I wanted to pursue music professionally. Although I started songwriting when I was 11 on a ukulele my dad won from a game of bingo at his work’s Christmas Party, it was the resonant sound of the guitar that truly ignited my passion for songwriting. I started doing a lot of live gigs at different venues while I was living in Vancouver, Canada throughout High School. In 2018 I moved to New York to pursue my dream and enrolled in New York University to study Music Business.

My passion for film and orchestral music has always been a part of my life, it was always something I wanted to be a part of growing up. Dancing ballet for 8 years in childhood was a huge reason why I fell in love with classical music. Watching Disney Pixar and Musicals was the highlight of my day. Furthermore, Taking Film & TV class in high school provided me with the opportunity to delve into the intricacies of film-making as I got to create my own film. It was during this experience that I discovered my favorite part of the process was when I got to add temp music to the films I made. That is when I realized screen scoring was the perfect fusion of the art of film and music.

During my time at NYU undergrad I decided to explore writing music to picture. That was when I began taking film composition lesson and was introduced to my mentor Jamie Lawrence, a five time Emmy winning Composer and Orchestrater. Everything he has taught me inspired me to continue writing music to picture. Upon graduating from undergrad, I began my next chapter in Master’s at NYU for Screen Scoring in 2022.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Japanese-Chinese Film & Media Composer and Singer-Songwriter based in New York City. I started playing classical piano when I was 3 and my other main instruments are guitar, ukulele, and voice. I embarked on my music journey fueled by a deep passion for storytelling through my music. Over the past few years as a singer-songwriter, I have released 5 songs and 4 track EP called ‘West Coast’. In 2023, I signed with Universal Music Publishing Group China and I am currently a music assistant for composer Cecilia Lin on an upcoming Broadway Musical production.

Collaboration is my favorite part about being a film and media composer. It is always an inspirational experience working with other creators and I learn so much from each project. I have worked on various projects including short films, animations, documentary, and games. My composition reflect a diverse fusion of cultural influences and experimental components. I love incorporating world instruments, my vocals, and sound design into my score, and seamlessly blending those unique sounds with traditional orchestral instruments and synthesizers. I am currently composing music for an NYU Tisch TV Pilot which will premiere in May 2024. My 7 min Orchestral piece “Tōdai”(Lighthouse) will be premiering with New York University Orchestra in April 2024. I will also be one of the Keynote speakers at the Music and the Moving Image Conference(MaMI) in May 2024.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Listening to music has always helped me heal during vulnerable times. I want to do the same with the music that I compose and pay it forward. As a composer and songwriter, the most rewarding aspect of sharing my music with the world is the opportunity to connect with people on a personal level. Music is a universal language and it has no limits and I think that’s the most beautiful part about it. Being able to create something that transcends language and cultural barriers that touches the hearts and souls of others, is truly a remarkable feeling. If my music can help even just one person in this world, wether it’s bringing them joy, comfort, or inspiration, that’s what’s important to me.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My multicultural background, having moved from Japan to China, then Canada, and finally the United States, has deeply influenced my compositional style. With a Japanese father and a Chinese mother, I draw inspiration from this diverse upbringing, aiming to create timeless film music on a global scale. As an Asian women of color, my creative journey is driven by a commitment to cultivate a more equitable and inclusive musical landscape, where everyone is respected and esteemed for the art they create regardless of where they are from.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nozomilynofficial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nozomilyn/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nozomi-lyn-1b5294172

Image Credits
Federico Modica January Yucheng Li