Today we’d like to introduce you to Yefan Zhang.
Hi Yefan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in China, I am a composer who writes music for Film, TV, Games and other media. I play the piano, guitar, clarinet, and some traditional folk Chinese instruments, such as the Taodi, Hulusi, and Bawu. After graduating from the Music Composition for the Screen (MFA) program at Columbia College Chicago in May 2022, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my passion for media scoring.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes and no. I found out my passion for scoring while studying computer science in college. When I shared my desire to change my career path with my family and friends, nobody really supported me or even understood my decision. I mean, computer science and composition are just so different. They didn’t believe I was serious about making it happen. So it took me a while to gather the courage to make such a significant change in my life. But once I had made the decision and started moving forward, and kept working on it, I did face some challenges, but overall, the journey has been relatively smooth for me. Cause I know I’ve been pursuing something that I’m deeply passionate about and that just makes me happy. So while there have been hard times along the way, I am determined to keep going.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I write music for visual media, essentially crafting narratives or enhancing emotions through music. So far, I’ve worked on dramas and horror projects the most. But I don’t want to limit myself to a specific genre. I’m eager to explore all the different stuff.
One of the short films I scored that I am really proud of, “Far Above the Starry Sky,” was screened and named a finalist at the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival. And I composed an additional cue for an Italian film, “Buio Come il Cuore,” set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival this summer. At the moment, I’m working on a couple of short films—a drama and another one centered around vampires.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Speaking of my childhood memories, it was filled out by music the most. My dad is crazy about music, I think he had already paved a musical learning path for me before I was even born. We have a lot of different instruments at home, and they all became my toys and props for photo shoots when I was little.
My “official start” for my music learning began when I was five years old, and it was quite a repetitive and dull process for a little girl. My dad held a strict stance on my music education and practice. I still have flashbacks of tears streaming down my face as my fingers continued to play on the piano keys, knowing that if I stopped, my dad would restart the timer. It was not enjoyable back then, and I sort of hated my dad for a while because of that. But now all those pictures have kind of become my favorite moments, cause I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today without those experiences, and I wouldn’t be able to make the big change from computer science to composition happen without those moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yefanzhangmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yefanzhang9/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050746383367
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yefanzhangmusic/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14284372/
