An Inspired Chat with Robert Mason Sandifer of Greenville

Robert Mason Sandifer shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Robert Mason, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Most days start with a blonde roast espresso iced coffee from my trusty, thrifted Nespresso Pixie. I make my iced coffee with two pumps of caramel, ice, butter-flavoured pancake syrup, sweet cream creamer, and then a drizzle of white chocolate. The first sip is my wakeup call, which is then followed by my ceremonial scroll through emails, messages, social media, and lastly my to-do list, which often ranges from “Write new cue for film” to “Figure out what I forgot to do yesterday”.

Most of my day is a mix between creative work and student life. I spend a lot of time writing music, attending classes, and doing homework that I swear multiplies when I’m not looking. I’m afraid it’s a bit of a juggling act most days. During meals, I like to decompress by watching a show while I cook and eat. No two days are exactly the same, but most days they all seem to involve caffeine, creativity, and a lot of tabs open, both on my laptop and in my brain.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello everyone, my name is Robert Mason Sandifer- I’m a multimedia composer, creative, and storyteller. I compose music for film, video games, audio dramas, and also do a bit of songwriting. My music tends to sit between the space of cinematic, quirky, or deeply profound. I specialize in creating music and narrative experiences that are personal, immersive, and deeply human. Whether I’m scoring a feature film, creating a comedic series, or designing a visual concept, I aim to create meaningful work that connects- not just entertains.
For directors and collaborators, I aim to bring a mix of artistic vision and practical experience. I understand the rhythm of production and how to shape sound and story around emotion to give viewers an elevated experience. My scores are designed to support the narrative while giving the audience themes that subconsciously connect them to the character or story.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I think my perspective shifted gradually. Growing up homeschooled, my world was pretty small- safe, quiet, and intentionally shielded from heavier topics until I was able to understand the weight of them and bear the baggage of that. I don’t regret that upbringing, but I do recognize how it shaped my early understanding of the world. I think I had a very idealistic view of people and assumed most had good intentions.
That changed as I got older, especially when I started stepping into the music industry as a young composer. I expected collaboration, encouragement, and mutual support, but instead I ran into drama, competition, and a surprising amount of negativity from people I considered friends. It really was more of a wake-up call, realizing that not everyone operates with kindness or integrity, and coming to terms with the reality that some people will use or undermine you if it serves their purposes.
This taught me to be more discerning, to protect my energy and focus on doing the best work I can without getting pulled into unnecessary conflict. I’m not the type of person who lets other people walk all over me, but I have learned that sometimes the strongest move is to simply keep going and let my work and character speak for themselves.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, my sophomore year of college was, truthfully, one of the darkest, most defining times of my life up to this point. I was under immense pressure both academically, emotionally, and creatively. I had been separated from close friends I had made freshman year due to housing issues, and suddenly, everything felt heavier. I was alone, overwhelmed, and it felt like I was drowning in expectations I didn’t know how to meet.
At the center of it all was the looming Sophomore Review, a performance evaluation that would determine whether I could continue as a composition major and be officially accepted into the school of music. It felt like everything I had worked for up to that point- all the papers, the auditions, the homework, the practice, the long nights and early mornings- was hanging by a thread.
In trying to keep up with all that, I stopped taking care of myself. I stopped eating. I isolated. I lost the joy I once felt for composing or even living. My life was now centered around performance, grades, and approval. I felt like everything I was was slowly being siphoned out and leaving me hollow and a shell. I had definitely lost my way, and more painfully, I had lost who I was and who I was called to be.
I think struggle shapes us, and this shaped me. My family stepped in, realizing something was terribly wrong, and gave me support and resources to slowly step away from the precipice I felt like I was standing in front of. Over the summer, I really had the chance to reconnect with the reasons I started composing, the stories I wanted to tell, the emotions I wanted to convey, and honor. I think the most important thing I learned from this was to stop measuring my worth by someone else’s rubric. That season taught me how fragile creative joy can be, and how fiercely it needs to be defended.
I didn’t give up. But I came close. And now, because of that, I create with more intention, see hurting, lonely people with more empathy and compassion, and have more clarity about what truly matters.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes- I value authenticity and genuine presentation in everything I do. Whether I’m composing music, sharing a project on social media, or collaborating with others, I show up as myself. I don’t believe in curating a version of myself that’s overly polished or performative. What you see publicly is pretty much what you’d get in a one-on-one conversation: someone who’s passionate about storytelling, serious about the work, but still figuring things out.
I’ve learned to stay true to who I am, even if it’s imperfect, as it builds a stronger connection and better art. I’d rather be real than impressive. That’s the version of me I want people to know, and I think that’s what makes the work meaningful.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
I think the music and the love of it would remain. If you were to strip away the titles, the commissioned projects, or the platforms, then what’s left is the part of me that can hear a melody in silence, the part of me that knows the rhythm in emotion, and the part of me that reaches for harmony when words fall short. Music has always been more than a career path; it’s been a creative outlet for how I process the world, how I connect to others, and how I remember who I am.
Even in my hardest seasons, when I felt lost or disconnected, the music was still there. It was always present, and that, plus my faith, is the thread that runs through everything I do. Whether it’s scoring a film, writing lyrics, or just sitting at the piano trying to make sense of something I can’t explain.
So if everything fell away, I think that love, the instinct to create, to comfort, and to communicate through sound would still be there. And I think that’s all I’d need.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sandifersongandstudio.sqaurespace.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandifersongandstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556404176804
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sandifersongandstudio
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2EUUAjv10OwJwODKYRQGzi?si=dClOKZ-bSeak2XfeUcj3yA