Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Harper.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I don’t come from a family of musicians or relatives in the entertainment industry. I’ve lived almost my entire life in the suburbs of Chicago, and anyone who has felt trapped in a cul-de-sac setting can relate to the aimlessness that often comes with it. The comfort of home was eventually overtaken by that “trapped in the well” sensation, and I knew I had to find a place where I could be creative and be surrounded by creatives. I had long been inspired by animation and the video game industry (which was still growing into its own at the time). There was a desperate urge to be a part of the team that made that kind of art. But how does one get there?
For some time, I floated around with interests, pursuing hobbies and trying out options that stoked creative interests, but none quite captured me. That dynamic really changed when I started to write my own music. Being a percussionist since I was little, I had a very loose grasp of musical ideas but never any experience with putting them all together. It was brutally challenging. Something about that engaged me; I began to pursue it academically as well as on my own time. A Bachelor’s and Master’s degree later, and I finally made the move out to LA. Along that path, I’ve had the good fortune to meet so many talented, generous artists who have helped shape my own interests and ideas. Now it’s time to build that foundation into something real with other artists, directors, developers out here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It certainly hasn’t been smooth sailing. I’m not sure how many artists would be able to say differently on that. For me, imposter syndrome has been a big component that comes with the field. I was around when the Internet really started picking up steam, and social media has become an unavoidable part of getting yourself out there. That reality comes with constant comparison, and for a while, life just felt like a series of “small fish jumping into a bigger and bigger pond”. There’s always the next tier to reach. Finding the space to avoid burnout yet maintaining the momentum to find steady work and keep improving your craft is a never-ending battle. Add with that the constant self-reflection that comes with needing to “find your own voice” in such a crowded market, and you have a decent picture of what walls I still struggle to scale.
Oh, and don’t forget that LA traffic!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
While my work has been flexible – from sheet music revision to additional composer to tech assistance – I’ve always kept my sights set on ultimately working as a composer for video games. The energy I like to feel out in music often bends that direction on its own, alternating between high-energy grooves and sweeping melodies. My own influences stem from a Nintendo console’s worth of musical memory from childhood; thus, a lot of what I do tends to lean into that Japanese musical idiom. The work I do in that realm is what I’m most proud of, though most of it is so personal that I’ve kept it private in the past. I’m still working on breaking out of that habit and sharing myself more openly.
But sorry, that’s not exactly “concrete,” is it? Well, despite the slow work opportunities over the last year, there were a couple specific highlights that I’m proud of. The final piece I wrote for my master’s program was recorded by union musicians over at the Newman Scoring Stage, then mixed and mastered by Dennis Sands. It was the first piece of music in a while where I got to explore my own interests with no visual guide, and I was ecstatic to have that opportunity. More recently, I was fortunate enough to assist Jeremy Zuckerman and his assistant Brian Herald in preparing the sheet music for the Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert – the first time I’ve ever brushed shoulders with a childhood staple like that.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
On the film industry, speaking as someone still “new to the playground”, I see a lot of change on the horizon. Following the double strike last year, we’ve yet to see what impact the emerging AI technologies will have on the film production process – not to mention the general upward trend of ballooning film budgets. Studio projects will inevitably need a paradigm shift in their process… though what that might be I couldn’t guess. For now, as we see more employees laid off, the shoreline appears to be shrinking for everyone. Independent companies like A24 may become a haven for bringing new blood into the industry in the short term. Maybe within 10 years, we’ll see other places be able to support an industry more akin to the size of Hollywood, and the work will start to spread outside the LA boundaries.
As for the games industry, it’s much the same if you work for a studio. Staff sizes are shrinking, projects are getting more resource-demanding, and the consumer interests are harder to balance against corporate/shareholder interests. But tools are becoming more efficient, and the process of developing excellent games is becoming feasible for smaller teams. The independent scene is likely going to continue skyrocketing for a while, and I think it’s an exciting time for anyone who has ever wanted to be a part of it. The door is wide open.
For both, there’s one big trend that will continue: saturation. The strategies previous generations have employed may be reaching their shelf life as more people come out here to make a go of it. As we continue moving forward, artists will likely need to more acutely design their own paths – and we may see our relationship with this line of work change along with it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dylanvharper.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanvharper/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-v-harper/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DylanHa61082688
Image Credits
Michael Van Bodegom Smith
Kristopher Carter
David Neville
