Composition

From my previous work in music composition to my current work in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), I always try to approach a problem in a clever and elegant manner, keeping the user’s experience at the forefront of my thoughts.

Though it may seem like a great leap from a career in music to HCI, the best HCI advice I ever received was from my composition professor when I was studying music in Paris. I was struggling with a violin sonata and told my professor of this difficulty. He told me to get away from the piano and imagine myself in a packed concert hall waiting to hear this new piece of mine performed by a world famous performer. At that moment, when the music first starts, what would I most want to hear? What would make that moment special? That, he said, is what I should write.

This approach of thinking about what would be the most special and perfect for the user/audience greatly informs the work I do in both classroom and professional settings. Music composition and HCI are rooted in finding creative and pleasurable solutions to audience expectations. While I am no longer a professional musician, I am still doing what I love to do by creatively designing for an audience.