Meet Yuko Zen

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yuko Zen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yuko, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?

Being a music composer has created a greater demand for my empathy. When I score for films and TV, my empathy with the characters and my interpretation of the story determine the direction of the music. When composing for games, stepping into the player’s perspective greatly aids my control over the music and sound design. This empathy stems from various aspects of life, allowing me to observe and reflect more closely on everything happening in the world.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m an LA-based music composer for visual media (film/TV/game, etc.) and multi-instrumentalist. Growing up with a classical background and later evolving into contemporary music, it was only a matter of time before I discovered my ability for storytelling and passion for film. So, I moved to Los Angeles to study composition and scoring for visual media at Musicians Institute, and soon after, I became a part of this industry. Recently, my team and I have been collaborating with Tencent Games on various game music projects, and I’m also involved in teaching, offering help and guidance to students eager to learn about film scoring.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Always stay curious, as it creates many opportunities for exploration and learning new things. Don’t settle for what you already know—ask for genuine feedback from others and learn how they accomplish what they do well.

2. Scoring and composition is like a language, and interacting with the outside world is what keeps it fresh. Without the experience and reflection on life and the things around you, it’s easy to run out of inspiration and fall behind. Stay engaged with the current trends in the industry, continuously listen to others’ work to update your ear, and only then can you accurately measure how far you are from the industry standard.

3. Keeping writing as a habit is essential, just like how players practice every day to stay sharp. Composers should write something every day, even if it’s just a short theme. Not only does it help maintain writing skills and build up material, but it also makes it easier to avoid creative blocks when a project comes your way.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

It’s always better to be versatile as a musician. On one hand, it helps you adapt to different situations and gives you more chances to work on all kinds of projects, especially in the music industry, where having a range of skills (e.g., orchestration, mixing, sound design) can open more doors. On the other hand, it can save you tons of money—you don’t always have to hire someone else to do the parts you’re not great at. When I first started working, I instantly realized I needed to improve my weak spots, because, realistically, without doing so, there were many projects I simply couldn’t take on, especially with others who were better suited for them. So, I continuously challenge myself to explore new fields, learn new techniques, and push the boundaries of my creativity. This ongoing process of learning and self-improvement has also helped me handle unexpected challenges, balancing both my weak spots and strengths.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yukozen.com/listen-watch
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yukozen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeng.yuko
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/yukozen/sets
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/0wJXZs6jWlmmgrdQNoCtX9?si=VRs36On_Squ3iscUYj8cJg