About Me

My Philosophy

I love music. I believe it can express what words alone cannot, both as a tool for personal expression and as a powerful force in storytelling.

Where scripts and visuals provide information, music grounds the experience in emotion. It makes stories feel real and gives the audience space to engage on a deeper level, filling in the blanks with feelings and memories that only sound can unlock. Even silent films relied on live orchestras to reach their full emotional potential. The same is true for theater, video games, and beyond.

My goal is to dedicate my life to this form of expression as both a career and a reason to live.

Strengths

Composition & Production

• Confident writing for string quartets and piano, with a strong grasp of their expressive range.
• Experienced in arranging for both band and orchestral ensembles.
• Familiar with writing for melodic percussion and exploring its tonal possibilities.
• Hands-on experience in audio editing, especially for radio and podcast formats.
• Proficient in both live sound mixing and studio recording.
• Regular user of music notation software including MuseScore, Sibelius, and Dorico.
• ProTools 101 and 110 Certified

Performance

• [Collegiate] Double Bass - Years
• [Adept] Bass Guitar - Years
• [Intermediate] Guitar - Years
• [Intermediate] Piano - Years
• [Beginner] Drums - Years

Key Achievements and Projects

Audio Editing & Production

• Premiered original production project, ::mainframe.chatter:: on HPPR with WT's Electronic Ensemble.
• Edited Dr. Hieb's voice and added music for CMA segments on HPPR.
• Handled sound production solo for the musical, Alice by Heart with support from fellow student Orlando Moreno.

Composition & Performance

• Member of WT's Electronic Ensemble since its founding.
• Performed with the WT Double Bass Ensemble featured at TMEA.
• Participated in WT's 24-hour composition competition.
• Collaborated on Marc Mellits', Dark Matter, in class and independently with fellow student Kaitlyn Rubinski.
• Studied under Dr. Scales and Debra Rasband for Double Bass, Dr. Brooks and Alexandra Funes for Composition, Dr. Ingebritsen for audio engineering and production, and Dr. Nam for piano.

Leadership & Research

• Served as Historian for Mu Phi Epsilon, managing events, documentation, and chapter organization.
• Worked as a research assistant for Dr. Ingebritsen by contacting over 80 people, collecting 32 completed survey responses, and managing the data.
• Traveled to Ochsenhausen, Germany through WT's Travel Abroad program for a summer music experience.

Pre-College Experience

• Performed as a singer and dancer in the musical, We Will Rock You with the Tascosa theater department.
• Played double bass and bass guitar in the pit orchestra for the musical, Elf with the Tascosa theater department.

Additional Information

Other Disciplines

• Web Development I designed and built this website from scratch using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.
• Game Development: Many game examples were designed and developed by me in Godot 4.
• Art and Design: All art on this website and in the game examples was created by me using a mixture of PixilArt.com and Krita.
• Contracts and Negotiation: Experienced in drafting clear and comprehensive work-for-hire agreements, covering payment structures, project timelines, and intellectual property rights.

Current Setup

Images last updated: mm/dd/yyyy

Story of My Life

Early Life and Family

I was born in Amarillo, TX in December 2002 to my wonderful mother, Tory VanDamme. My brother, mom, and I moved around frequently, from Amarillo to Plaquemine, Louisiana, and eventually back again. For high school, I attended Tascosa High School in the mornings and spent my afternoons at the Amarillo Area Center for Advanced Learning (AACAL), focusing on graphic design.

In early 2020, a house fire and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything. I left Tascosa and enrolled in North Heights' Fast Pass program, completing my senior year in just one week. Shortly after, I began college.

My family includes my step-father Adam Romo, my younger brothers Konnor and Brian Jr., my mom Tory VanDamme, and my grandparents Tracy Morrow, Mary VanDamme, and finally Margarett and Ruben Romo. They share the best and the worst moments in my life and have supported my dreams through it all. I wanted to make sure they were included in this bio as I would not be the person I am today without them.

College

I started college in Fall 2021 at West Texas A&M University, originally pursuing a double major in Music Technology and Composition. I was accepted into the composition studio under Dr. BJ Brooks, and while I eventually chose to focus solely on Music Technology due to a difference in artistic direction, I completed more than half of the composition degree and remained active in the studio for over a year.

Studying under Dr. Ryan Ingebritsen in the Music Technology program gave me opportunities to perform in the Electronic Ensemble since its inception, engineer live sound for several senior recitals and the Alice by Heart musical, and work alongside professionals like Carlos Casso from Audio Refinery and Glenn Storlie from Covenant Recording.

I also performed regularly as a double bassist with the WT Symphony Orchestra under Dr. Nicolas Scales and Dr. Mark Bartley, gaining deep exposure to a wide range of repertoire and building connections with other musicians and composers.

Now

I'm in my final semester as a full-time music student, preparing to move back to Amarillo, Texas, while finishing up core classes. I'm currently seeking part-time work and freelance opportunities in composition, sound design, and related creative fields, while I finish out my degree.