About William

I am a composer, multi-instrumentalist, photographer, and videographer. My creative work often begins with close attention to sound, light, timing, movement, and atmosphere.

I write choral, chamber, orchestral, and media music, from works for violin and piano or choir and chamber orchestra to video-game scores and pieces built from field recordings. I am interested in music that communicates clearly through texture, color, and emotional space.

A composition may begin with a specific image or feeling, but it is completed differently by every listener. I am drawn to music's inherent ambiguity, much like the ambiguity I value in Japanese poetry: a listener's own experience can transform the meaning of the work. I especially enjoy hearing what people felt or imagined, because their interpretations are often different from mine while remaining in the same emotional territory. Depending on the piece, I may work with acoustic instruments, electronic production, recorded sound, or a combination of all three.

Photography and videography give me another way to see and shape the world around me. I am especially drawn to natural light and to photographing wildlife and the places I encounter while hiking or traveling. I look for images that feel grounded and natural rather than staged.

I have taught music professionally in Atlanta since 2021, working with a weekly roster of more than 50 students at its busiest. I want students not only to learn an instrument or complete a piece, but also to understand how to learn: how to break down a challenge, listen critically, ask useful questions, and work independently. I especially enjoy fostering creativity and curiosity through composition, songwriting, theory, production, and exploration across instruments.

This portfolio brings those areas together through selected music, teaching work, photographs, and videos. It reflects a range of creative work that I am continuing to develop.