Rising Stars: Meet Zach Heyde

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Heyde.

Hi Zach, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Since I covered some of my early life and career on the last VoyageLA interview I did, this time around, I’ll chat more about my career since moving to LA!

Like many, the last few years in LA have been a rollercoaster for me. When quarantine kicked in, just about all of the work I had as a composer dried up completely. It was really tough—not just financially but emotionally too. I attach so much of myself to my music and collaborations, so losing that felt like losing a part of myself.

Ultimately though, the time without work turned out to be a blessing in disguise. In the absence of work, I spent time finding new hobbies like woodworking, building my mental and physical health, and making connections with other creative people. I began to realize that I wasn’t defined by the work I had or the music I made, but by the value I put into my own life.

That lesson has been crucial for me as my career has begun to grow. In September 2021, work finally began to pick up again after lots of cold contacting, improving my craft, and waiting the pandemic out. Since then, it’s been pretty much non-stop! But through it all, I remind myself that above all of the work, my personal well-being comes first. If that means I have to turn down a gig, I’m learning to be all right with that. We can only drive a car as far as the gas in the tank allows!

Some of the recent projects I’ve been involved with have been writing additional music for Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight on Netflix, music for Flashgitz and OtakuVs on YouTube, and ongoing work educating composers and creatives on my YouTube channel. I also still teach lessons via Zoom on Thursdays, which I love—being able to help other creatives in their journey is incredibly fulfilling.

I’m looking forward to what 2023 holds in store and am loving all of the incredible opportunities I’ve gotten since moving here!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge as a creative professional, I think, is work/life balance. That doesn’t just refer to the time you spend on either—it refers to the mental space you allow each. It’s all too easy to take a weekend off but spend it thinking about a meeting on Monday or an upcoming deadline. Carving space to disengage with work is absolutely crucial, especially if you’re like me and work from home.

The way I’ve managed it to date is just to be upfront with everyone I work with about my needs and to protect the things I value. I’m clear to tell people that I don’t work on weekends, or if I have concerns about the expectations of a project or its deadlines. I’ve had too many past experiences where I let those things go, and ultimately built up resentment for the person I was working for. It’s not healthy and doesn’t benefit either party.

The other aspect of maintaining that balance is to truly value it. You have to WANT that balance in the first place enough to protect it, which means finding things outside of work that bring you value. I have dinner with my wife, go to the gym 2-3 times per week, play video games, and watch movies. If you can find things outside of your career that brings you joy, you’re more inclined to protect your free time to preserve those things. Without them, there’s nothing stopping you from letting your work consume you.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I primarily compose orchestral music for animation! I’ve worked with Dreamworks, Disney, Marvel, and numerous other larger companies, as well as lots of independent creators like Flashgitz, OtakuVs, Meatcanyon, and more.

I love the freedom that animation provides to compose in. Animators build their worlds from scratch like composers do, so I feel a kinship to those kinds of creators. In turn, the music has so much space to breathe in animation that it’s a blast to compose for.

I think what sets me apart beyond my musical style or production value is that I really take time to hear my clients out. It’s important to me that their visions are met (or exceeded) when it comes to the music. They’ve often worked on their projects for so long that by the time I’m involved, they’ve lost some of their spark for it. I feel that my job as a composer is to make them excited about their project, to refuel the creative fire and bring their vision to life.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Hah—good question! Well, I don’t think most of my clients know that I’m a die-hard Super Smash Bros. player. I played Smash since I was a kid, and have put literally thousands of hours into Smash Ultimate. I main as Ganondorf, which started off as a joke character I played but turned into my go-to—a lot of people think he’s the worst in the game, but I have too much fun with him to swap him out!

Contact Info:

• Website: zachheyde.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/zachheyde
• Twitter: twitter.com/zachheyde
• Youtube: youtube.com/zachheyde