Meet Jeremy Chontow of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Chontow.

Hi Jeremy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I first got into music in early elementary school. I don’t specifically remember what year it was, but I do remember seeing a piano for the first time and learning what it could do. I loved the sound and I wanted to hear it all day. From there, I got a toy piano one holiday, a larger keyboard the next year, and eventually a full 88-key some time around high school.

I didn’t pick up composing until I was about 15 or so. I learned how to use the 4-track recording feature on my Casio piano to recreate some of my favorite pop songs, which led to writing my own things too. My “works” would range from electronic to orchestral, using whatever MIDI sounds the keyboard had. I also got a music making app called Caustic. If it’s still around, I’d recommend it to anyone who loves making music. This was a huge fire starter in terms of getting my dreams off the ground and it later made the transition to the DAW a bit easier.

Two years later, I get asked for the first time to write music for a short film. I’d never done one so I really tried to say no. But a day after that conversation, I was buying Logic Pro with the help of my parents. Then the gears really started turning. I hit the ground running, learning synth and MIDI programming.

I continued writing for fun in Logic after that. My music would get a little less cringey, a bit more complex, and all the more exciting. I had just enough knowledge of the program and what I wanted in life to submit materials to the concert composition program at Shenandoah University. I got accepted and learned to write for live musicians, chamber groups, and how to think about music. I learned what a dominant chord was and how to use it. I learned that I don’t like music theory. I learned that the world I thought was big was actually much bigger.

Then came graduation, smack dab in the middle of COVID. Being home all the time, I was able to write more music. I bought more software. I did a few more short films. I realized that I had a growing interest of writing music and a large catalog of written works. I waited tables and worked at various restaurants here and there but being a composer was what I was meant to do.

Around 2022 I applied for the NYU Summer Screen Scoring Workshop. I told myself that if I got in, it meant that it was time to start taking my passions more seriously, that they would go from serious hobby to serious profession. If I didn’t get in, I’d spend a little more time practicing the craft. I was in Washington State at the time and getting in meant going to New York City. I was terrified but excited. And getting the acceptance email just a few weeks later was officially the start of a new chapter.

I packed everything to my name into three boxes. Instead of temporary dormitory housing, I found an apartment in Brooklyn. NYC would be my new home for however long it was meant to be my new home. I had no plans, no ideas, nowhere to go and nothing to do besides the one thing I knew I wanted to do for the rest of my life. At the workshop, I ‘re-scored’ films, TV shows, and commercials. I attended lectures given by industry professionals and made new friends along the way. When it was all said and done, it was enough to question the one thing I thought I knew was for certain — not going back to school.

I never did thrive in the academic environment. In high school I drew pictures up and down the page of a math test because I didn’t know any of the answers. In my undergrad I failed music theory twice. But now I was thinking about the Screen Scoring program at NYU. Doing what I know I already love. In 2023, I was accepted as a grad student.

Two years later, and a very expensive diploma later, I was out in the world with little ideas about what to do next. In the few years leading up to graduation, I was fortunate to find some success in production music; Writing large bouts of music for various publishers in all sorts of styles. A crash course in writing crazy sounds at crazy speeds. One notable mention is my first trailer placement: Amazon’s Citadel Season 2 trailer. It was super cool working with Wet Leg’s music to recreate a hard-hitting track for the show. I did trailers for a little while after that and kept up with my library music requests but I was ready for something serious, something long term, and something I knew I could really grow in.

Three months later, I’m in Canada, newly married, freelancing from the home of my in-laws when I see a job post from Hexany Audio for a composer position. My chances are probably slim. I hadn’t worked in game audio before, I knew no one on the team, and getting the position would involve moving to Los Angeles…. But why not just see what happens?

At the time of writing this, It’s been one year since starting with Hexany and I’ve enjoyed every second!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth roads don’t like big ambitions.

When I first started out, I struggled figuring who I wanted to be. I didn’t know what I had to offer or why I wanted to offer it and I certainly didn’t want to compete with other people in doing that. I struggled communicating in a world that seemed to grow louder by the day. I struggled finding support or mentorship, I struggled making any livable income off my freelance work for several years. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and some were more costly than others.

Bumpy roads are part of the job, and a part of growing in general. It can be pretty easy to isolate an incident in the moment, but growth is hard to see on a micro scale. Experiencing a challenge just means you’re that much closer to being more knowledgable and prepared for the next one.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a composer at Hexany Audio, an audio house specializing in custom music, sound design, and audio implementation for video games. Some of the titles we’re known for are: Overwatch, Arknights, League of Legends, Honor of Kings, and many others.

Most of what I’ve worked on is still under wraps but I’m really proud of my trajectory so far. The quality of my music since I’ve started with the company has skyrocketed with every new project and it’s been an honor to work on some of my personal favorites.

Everyone at Hexany Audio has a unique sound and most of the tasks we’re assigned take that into consideration. What sets me apart would be my approach to music — If my music doesn’t emotionally impact me, I won’t deliver it. Every track I write contains a spark, whether it’s a melody, a harmonic progression, or a sonic idea, that is intended to surprise, affect, inspire, or otherwise evoke a strong emotional response. Something that takes the listener on a memorable journey.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Metaphorically ‘letting go of the reigns’ and going with the flow is okay. Not having a plan, not knowing what you’re doing, making mistakes is all okay. To quote (paraphrase rather) Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jeremychontow.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremychontow/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremychontow